Hayseeds, Moralizers, and Methodists: The Twentieth Century Image of Kansas: 1st (First) Edition

by Robert Smith Bader

The tattered image of modern-day Kansas and how it got that way is the subject of this pioneering and wonderfully entertaining book. Robert Smith Bader traces the rise and fall of the state's reputation from the turn of the century--when it was a national leader in the two most prominent sociopolitical movements of the era, Progressivism and prohibition--through the Jazz Age--when Kansas came to epitomize strait-laced, fundamentalist values (H.L. Mencken proclaimed it the quintessential "cow state," chock-full of hayseeds, moralizers, and Methodists)--to today's consensus view of Kansas as drab and boring. The book concludes with a marvelous survey of recent popular culture and with a call for a reexamination of the state's historic strengths.

Paperback

First published May 1, 1988

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was kind of a difficult read. If you get to the middle and quit you will really think of it as a negative read. It gets better towards the end, it is interesting how the eastern papers portrayed us in the early 20th century and that we were even thought of at that time. Today or in 2012 Kansas is ranked 15th among the states in business so we are hanging in there and going strong!

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the title addresses the "image" of Kansas, in reality the content does a great job of providing actual, interesting 20th century history of Kansas. I definitely recommend.

[Cws]

978.1