Edward Eggleston (1837-1902) was an American novelist, historian, minister, editor, and writer for young readers. Born in Indiana, he grew up in the Ohio River Valley and became closely associated with the literature and history of the American Midwest. His early experiences in frontier and small-town life shaped much of his fiction and historical writing, giving him a strong interest in regional character, ordinary people, settlement, education, religion, and the development of American society outside the older eastern centers.Eggleston first became widely known as the author of The Hoosier Schoolmaster, a popular novel of Indiana life that helped establish him as an important figure in American regional fiction. He also wrote other novels, sketches, histories, biographies, and books for children. His work often combined storytelling with social observation, moral instruction, and a desire to make American life understandable through vivid scenes and memorable individuals.In his historical books for younger readers, including A First Book in American History, Eggleston sought to make the past accessible by presenting history as a sequence of stories rather than as a dry accumulation of dates. His educational writing reflects the assumptions and national outlook of the nineteenth century, but it also shows the importance of narrative in early American history instruction. Today Eggleston remains of interest to readers of classic children's history, American regional literature, homeschool materials, and the history of education.