James Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the first half of the 19th century. His historical romances of frontier and Indian life in the early American days created a unique form of American literature. One of the Cooper's European trilogy, The Headsman is set in Switzerland. The novel was inspired by one of Cooper's trips during his European travels in 1832. It explores a number of themes related to how society structures itself, including justice, authority, friendship, parental relationships, love and marriage.