Eoneguski, or, The Cherokee Chief: A Tale of Past Wars. Vol. II (ePub)

Robert Strange (1796-1854) was an American lawyer, politician, and writer, best remembered for his work 'Eoneguski, or, The Cherokee Chief: A Tale of Past Wars. Vol. II'. This novel, set in the early 19th century against the backdrop of the Cherokee Nation, is one of the earliest examples of the use of American Indian life and culture in fiction, and it presents a sympathetic depiction of Native American characters and their struggles during a turbulent period in their history. Strange, a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina, served as a United States Senator from 1836 to 1840. His dedication to public service and his legal background significantly influenced his literary work, weaving together the political and social threads of the era. 'Eoneguski' is seen as an effort to narrate and humanize the experiences of the Cherokee people while embedding this cultural representation in the context of early American frontier literature. Due to its historical significance and Strange's articulate crafting of the narrative, the book has garnered attention from literary scholars interested in the evolution of American Indian literature and antebellum Southern literature (Watson, K. (1991). 'The Early American Indian Novel: Native Americans and Euro-American Culture, 1750-1850'). Strange's literary style is characterized by a blend of authenticity, romanticism, and a poignant storytelling that reflects on the broader human condition within the particularities of its historical setting.