When James Fenimore Cooper decided to write The Spy (1821), a narrative of manners set in the America of the Revolutionary War, he was certainly conscious of the fact that nothing of the kind already existed.

Creating an American Literature

Cooper justified his undertaking explicitly in his preface. He points out first off that the best reason in favor of an American trying to write a novel set in this country is that the ground is "untrodden." Significantly, he adds that this may in fact help the book to gain notice abroad; at least critics there would find it new. Perhaps he felt that the British market would account for an important share of sales; such thoughts can't have been beneath him. After all, Cooper also points out immediately that such a book can't fail to appeal at home...