August 12, 2016
AP U.S. History The story of Last of the Mohicans takes place during the French and Indian War, meaning it took place in the mid to late 1750’s or the early 1760’s. The story begins in a forest on the outside of New York, where Heyward Duncan and two sisters, Cora and Alice Munro, are being escorted through the forest by Magua, an Indian of the Huron tribe. The purpose of the escort is to bring the sisters to visit their father, who is in the fort called William Henry in New York, which at the time was under attack by the French Army. Little do they know, however, is that Magua is actually one of the dreaded savages in the forest they were warned about, and he betrays the group by leading them into Huron territory, …show more content…
Luckily, three Indians, Hawkeye, Uncas, and Chingachgook, the eponymous “Last of the Mohicans,” forewarn Heyward that Magua is not to be trusted, and they devise a plan to capture him. Heyward continues to travel with Magua while the Mohicans wait up ahead. They ambush Magua, however, he escapes and regroups with his tribe and begins to hunt the Mohicans and Heyward’s party down. Realizing they are outnumbered, Cora requests the Mohicans flee the scene down the river and bring help. The Mohicans are reluctant at first to do so, but the eventually comply. Soon, however, Heyward, Alice, Cora, and David are all captured by the Hurons. Magua approaches them and reveals he betrayed them because Colonel Munro humiliated him and exiled him. He proposes that he will let Alice go back to her father if Cora agrees to marry him. Fortunately, before Cora has to choose, the Mohicans show up for a surprise attack and successfully free the party and kill almost all of the the Hurons. The Mohicans then accompany the group through the forest until they arrive at Fort William Henry, where Cora and Alice are finally reunited with their father. A couple days later, a truce is called between the French and the English soldiers, and Munro decides to surrender and retreat, due to how …show more content…
Unfortunately, as the English are leaving the fort, Indians, allied with the French, sneak up behind the forces and slaughter many soldiers, and Alice, Cora, and David are once again captured and separated. However, David escapes and manages to tell Heyward the location of Cora and Alice. First, Heyward, Chingachgook, Uncas, and Hawkeye go to the camp where Alice is held. They successfully free her and Heyward, having lost his romantic interest in Cora after discovering earlier that she is half-negro, confesses his love for the fair and blonde Alice. They then travel to the camp where Cora is held, and the most climatic scene of the book ensues. Magua rallies his forces against Heyward and Hawkeye, and a harsh battle ensues where Magua and his forces are defeated, but in the chaos of the battle Cora is slain by a Huron soldier. Uncas, having formed reciprocated romantic interest in Cora, goes after her killer, however, before he can kill Cora’s murderer, Uncas is stabbed by Magua and dies. Hawkeye, noticing too late what occurred, fires an arrow into Magua’s chest, finally killing him. Cora and Uncas are both buried the last day, leaving