The First Macedonian Colony: The Untold History of the Macedonian Settlement in Granite City

Riots. Vendettas. Blackmail. Murder. For thousands of Macedonians who settled in Granite City and its environs during the first decades of the 20th century, life in the New World was in many ways the same as in the Old World. These Macedonians may have escaped their impoverished and enslaved homeland for prospects of prosperity and freedom in America, but Macedonia followed them across the ocean to the saloons, factories, and boarding houses of Granite City.The First Macedonian Colony explores the Macedonian immigrant experience in Granite City during the early 20th century. It examines the monopoly that the wealthy Macedonian bankers and businessmen held over the local Macedonians; details the political and ethnic rivalries of the Macedonians, Greeks and Bulgarians; and chronicles ordinary Macedonians as they integrated into American society all while preserving their Macedonian identity and culture. This little-known story of America’s first Macedonian settlement carries readers on a rousing voyage that will challenge all preconceived notions about the history of Macedonian immigration to America.