The Hoosier Schoolmaster

The old days of rural Indiana are recalled in this story of Ralph, a schoolteacher who must deal with many trials of life in what was then a frontier society. This edition includes the original twenty-nine illustrations.

Set in a rural village in Indiana during the mid-19th century, this story introduces to the reader small town life in the United States. The dialogue reflects the slang of the region, and the hardships of the teacher's life - from managing unruly children to acquiring materials for his school and the respect of the community - are all too clear. There are frequent references to Christianity, and the rural culture and traditions that hold prevalence. 

Yet Ralph is a young, talented and keen teacher who is determined to prove himself equal to the task of tutoring the small town's children. Through his difficult quest, Ralph acquires both friends and enemies, and realizes the uphill task ahead of him. Eventually he faces the greatest challenge of his life, when a false accusation leads him to defend himself in court - although things at first look grim, the young schoolmaster continues to hope that truth will prevail in the end. 

As a resident of Indiana, the author Edward Eggleston was assumed to have incorporated truths - biographical or otherwise - into this book. In his introduction to the text he dismisses these assertions, and instead emphasizes the cultural impressions he wanted to convey of his home state. Hoosier itself was a mode of dialect that characterized Ohio, Indiana in the early-mid 19th century - this book's depiction of it remains one of the best and most accurate historical accounts in existence.