The Dawn of a New Century: Prohibition, Roaring Twenties, and the Great Depression - Paperback

by Mary Kekec (Author), John Kekec (Author)

This story is about the families of three brother in the following few decades after the turn of the century in 1900. The old Victorian Age was ending and this new century ushered in many new innovations contributing to the rapidly changing lifestyles. These occurred during the eras of WWI, Prohibition, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and WWII; and what exciting times they were. But it is also the story of hard times and difficult circumstances for some. It reveals the vulnerable victims of these social and economic times, especially as a result of neglectful and estranged parental relationships. It tells of youth left on their own at very young ages to shift for themselves in a rather lawless, promiscuous, and often reckless environment. The characters of the story will probably raise a wide range of sentiments with accompanying emotions. Some may engender our admiration for the courage and grit and determination needed as they were able to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps to find a better life for their families. Others may engender our compassion, but also even some degree of condemnation for choosing to take more selfish and irresponsible paths. The three brothers of this story are George, Fred, and Carl Kieslich, all three born in the first decade of this new century. America was bursting at the seams at the turn of the century in 1900 with the dynamic Teddy Roosevelt at the helm. The Spanish/American War had just ended; factories were humming, and all the new inventions and conveniences, such as the telephone, automobile, and electrification, were changing the way that people lived. Many foreign immigrants were still coming into our country because America was the land of opportunity and freedom; and they were looking for a better lot in life for themselves and their children. As a result of the suffragette movement and the 19th amendment women had won the right to vote and were asserting themselves in many other ways as exhibited in their new dress fashions. Prohibition also came in with the 18th amendment at the beginning of the 1920's decade, but it was only winked at. The law actually only had the opposite effect of creating a national obsession for alcoholic beverages and inadvertently resulted in a widespread contempt for most laws and ordinances in general. Never was a law destined to be so flagrantly violated by so many. The big city crime boss rackets took advantage of this situation and were able to extend their vices with impunity, and perhaps helped spawn the public enemy crime sprees across the nation during the depression era of the following decade. All of these rapidly changing events were ushered in during the decade that became known as the Roaring Twenties, but which has more correctly been called the Unruly Decade. This was the era of speakeasies, flappers, bootleggers and with all the accompanying gambling, prostitution, and vaudevillian entertainment, and all the new dances- the provocative atmosphere of excitement and danger that the new developing culture was thirsting for. The younger generation cut loose with the 'Charleston' and other uninhibited behavior with an exuberance as never before seen. Then the stock market crashed in 1929 and the Great Depression arrived. Jobs grew harder to find as farm prices plummeted, factories started shutting down, and such major industries as mining and railroads declined. To compound the situation of these desperate times, the Midwest region experienced the worst drought in U. S. Weather Bureau history. Dust storms raged throughout this seven-state region that became known as the Dust Bowl. So everything finally got worse for everyone including not only those that had already just been hanging on, but those that had been enjoying their elaborate garden parties, debuts, fetes, and fancy balls as well. Finally World War II came along and kicked American industry back into high gear.

Author Biography

John Kekec now resides in Bonne Terre, MO with his wife and co-author, Mary Kekec. John is a longtime member of his regional writing societies which are affiliated with the Missouri Writer's Guild. Having authored several works his complete writing profile can be viewed on the Missouri Author's Directory website listing (http: //books.missouri.org/author) He is a retired Mineral Area College instructor with considerable graduate work past his master's degree from Kansas State College of Pittsburg, and at the Universities of Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, and Arizona. Mary has provided the inspiration and has co-authored with her husband in writing various family stories and a poetry edition. She has also been the family genealogist for many years and has compiled many family records. Their recent collaboration in working together in writing this Our American Heritage series is working well with John functioning as the writer/researcher filling in the historic background. Mary loves children and epitomizes the mother/grandmother/homemaker roles; the family matters having always mattered most. For many years they both have been quite active in historical and family genealogical research. Now retired, they remain avid readers and writers and in addition are currently busy with their four children, twelve grandchildren and six greats