
audiobook
Set against the restless backdrop of early‑19th‑century New York, the tale follows Cornelius Littlepage, a keen‑minded young man whose ambitions and sense of duty draw him into the tangled world of colonial politics and social customs. As he courts love, secures a marriage, and begins his public career, he confronts the clash between inherited privilege and the emerging call for true liberty.
The narrative weaves his personal struggles with the heated debate over anti‑rentism, a movement that threatens the very foundations of the state’s legal order. Through lively dialogue and vivid scenes of rural and urban life, the story examines the influence of chance, passion, and principle on both individuals and the larger community. Listeners will be drawn into a richly textured portrait of a society at a crossroads, where the pursuit of virtue is measured against the harsh realities of power and reform.
Language
en
Duration
~16 hours (970K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Text file produced by Distributed Proofreaders HTML file produced by David Widger
Release date
2005-09-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1789–1851
One of the first major American novelists, he helped define the adventure story with sweeping frontier tales, sea novels, and the unforgettable Leatherstocking series. His books brought early American landscapes and conflicts to readers around the world.
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