Essay on Last of the Mohicans: French, Indians, and British at War for Control of North America

In the novel entitled, ''The last of the Mohicans'' by the two authors named William Apess and James Fenimore Cooper, there has been the documentation of the historical account of the raging war between the French, the Indians, and the British who battle for the control of North American colony. In the colony, there is a dying tribe named ''Mohican'' that is in danger of getting extinct (Cooper & James, 12). It has only three members, namely Chingachgook, his son Uncas, as well as an adopted orphaned settler referred to as Hawkeye. In the fight, the natives are forced to take sides, hence causing turmoil and lack of peace amidst themselves. Indigenous people being enlisted in the fighting groups are unwilling to leave their homes unprotected and an indication that there are many instances in the novel where the rights of Native Americans have been violated during the wars between the colonialists. Thus, there has been the use of historical conflicts between the Native Americans and the Europeans to advocate for the civil rights of the indigenous people, as well as exhausted in the subsequent paragraphs.

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First, there has been the documentation of the acceptance of the remaining three members of Mohican tribe: Chingachgook, Uncas, and Hawkeye to get conscripted into the side of the British army to get protection against the attacks by Huron war party sympathetic to French colonies (Cooper & James, 16). It happens that there were the existing fights between the French and the British to gain some control over territories in North America. As a result, there had been a substantial number of killings of the native members of America, composed of the Mohican tribe. Its members had been killed massively to an extent where only three members were remaining (Cooper & James, 32). The British colonist Jack Winthrop could then approach Hawkeye and puts forth his proposal on the need to recruit him and other members of Mohican Tribe to fight for them in return to protection against the attacks by the Huron members. The Huron members whose protection against by the Mohican members are loyal to the French. It made them travel to New York in the morning that followed to seal such an agreement under the guidance of General Webb: who agreed to the agreement (Cooper & James, 42). General Webb could agree to grant them leave in the event their homes got attacked. Thus, it can be observed that the members of the Mohican tribe, aided with British soldiers, could form a front against the French soldiers represented by Huron warriors, in the run to protect themselves against further deaths that could make the entire tribe extinct. Therefore, it can be observed that the front between the British and the Mohicans was aimed at protecting the civil rights of Mohicans: the right to life.

Besides, there is an aspect of the fight between Magua and the British soldiers to obtain freedom. It can be observed that the British were fighting with French in the run to gain control of a portion of North American colonialists. All of them were foreign to North America, and the natives mint ways to fight all of them off. The member of the Native Indians, Magua, was against the British colonialism and thus formed an attacking war party referred to a Huron (Cooper & James, 64). In so far as it was sympathetic to the French, its resistance to the British settlement in their land was a sign of the need for freedom from settlers. Its resistance can be observed in an instance where Magua was helping major Duncan in leading a garrison that protected Cora and Alice: the two sisters: as they went to see their father, colonel Edmund Munroe in Fort William Henry. The two sisters were being taken there following the demand by their farther, Colonel Edmund Munroe. However, Magua had sinister motives. He misled the group that could then pump on the members of the Huron group. On the spot, the British soldiers got overwhelmed by the warriors. It was an event led by the calculated move by Magua to offset the British colonialism in the region (Cooper & James, 82). They demanded freedom form their rule. Thus, it can be observed that Magua, with his group of warriors, fought against the British intending to obtain their civil rights: freedom.

Moreover, there is a fight between the Native Americans and the European to maintain the property of Americans. Such can be observed in the case of the attack of Magua and his warriors on Cameron farm. It is evident in the period when Hawkeye, Uncas, Duncan, Cora, and Alice were traveling to the fort on foot after reaming alive from the fight with Magua, an event that led them to abandon their horses. As they moved on, Hawkeye could discover the inhabitants of the farm murdered with their cabin burnt. Uncas and Hawkeye cold that nothing got stolen (Cooper & James, 54). They concluded that Magua and his war party were responsible for the events that occurred. The party was quite likely scouring the frontier for any hapless colonial, whom they could kill instantly. The dead in the area was familiar to Hawkeye, a White orphan who had been rescued by the Mohicans while still young (Cooper & James, 78). It further serves as an indication that whoever had been killed by the militia were the British colonials in the area. Following the deaths, the area in which the dead lived remained uninhabited: Cameron farm. Magua and his warriors considered their actions as being to the best interest of the indigenous groups. Therefore, it can be established that there was a conflict between the Native Americans and the Europeans, the British, in the run to advocate for their civil rights of owning their lands, as seen in the case of Cameron farm.

Furthermore, there is an aspect of the protection of Native Americans' families. Such can be observed in the ensuing and persistent fights spearheaded by Magua, a native, against Colonel Munroe and his soldiers. As narrated by Magua, the British soldiers led by Colonel Munroe had raided his village leading to the killing of his children. By the time Magua had been sent to slavery. Upon return, Magua felt quite bitter for the death of his children as well as the remarriage of his wife (Cooper & James, 124). His wife had been married to somebody else because she thought of Magua being killed long ago by the British soldiers. Entirely, it was as a result of the presence of attacks wedged by the British soldiers that his family was no longer united and in existence. He had remained alone and as revenge, and in the run to ensure the protection of families, he wedged incessant attacks on the British soldiers, although with the help of the French fighters. With the belief that his family would be knit together had it not for the presence of British in the region, he believed that there was the need to rid British existence in their native land. One of the events that nearly led to the fleeing of the British was observed when Uncas, Hawkeye, Cora, and Alice were arriving at the fort where Colonel Munroe was housed (Cooper & James, 48). The fort was under fire by a French garrison, Magua included. Colonel Munroe claimed that the invaders were closing into their territory day by day, and by a region of three days, the assailants would have closed in at a range enough for their mortars to be dreadfully fired and cause many atrocities. In the process, Winthrop was almost fleeing to his families back in England had it not for Munroe's threat to fire him on the grounds of sedition. Thus, it can be observed that the stringent fights between the Native Americans and the Europeans were aimed at protecting the family units of the indigenous inhabitants: their civil rights.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as pointed out in the paragraphs above, there is the use of historical conflicts between the Native Americans and the Europeans to advocate for the civil rights of the indigenous people. They include the right to life, freedom. Own property, as well as to possess and protect their family units. Therefore, the novel is successfully used in advocating the rights of native people.

Works Cited

Cooper, James F. The Last of the Mohicans. New York: Pocket Books, 1992. Print.