1920s
During the 1920s (often referred to as the Roaring Twenties), a surging economy in the United States created an era of mass consumerism, as Jazz-Age flappers flouted Prohibition laws and the Harlem Renaissance redefined arts and culture.
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After enduring dark times, Americans were eager for a comeback.
The Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma had flourished as a neighborhood built by Black people, for Black people. In 1921 it was destroyed by a white mob. Get the facts on the attack and subsequent coverup.
During Prohibition, gay nightlife and culture reached new heights—at least temporarily.
Young women with short hairstyles, cigarettes dangling from their painted lips, dancing to a live jazz band, explored new-found freedoms.
How Prohibition Created the Mafia
How Prohibition Created the Mafia
Starting in January 1920, the United States became a dry country. Prohibition banned the manufacture and sale of alcohol in an attempt to civilize unruly Americans (and some other reasons). The experiment had many unintended consequences, but most dangerously, it fostered the rise of organized crime and the American Mafia.
3 Artistic Movements of the 1920s
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In 1920, bombers dropped 5,000 pounds of TNT on the Susquehanna River to prevent catastrophic flooding.
Black Wall Street Established in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this residential neighborhood known as Greenwood provided an opportunity for Blacks to accumulate wealth and make advancements during a time of racial terror, in this History special, "Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre."
A burst of prosperity and freedom during the Prohibition era.
The Harlem Renaissance marked a golden age in Black culture.
F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) was an American writer, whose books helped defined the Jazz Age. He is best known for his novel "The Great Gatsby" (1925), considered a masterpiece. He was married to socialite Zelda Fitzgerald (1900-1948).
During the Tulsa Race Massacre, a white mob attacked residents, homes and businesses in the predominantly Black Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma over 18 hours on May 31-June 1, 1921. The event remains one of the worst incidents of racial violence in U.S. history.
It wasn’t gasoline—but moonshine—that fueled the growth of stock car racing in Appalachia and led to the rise of NASCAR.
Thomas J. Midgley is now considered one of history's most dangerous inventors.
As Americans dreamed of amassing fabulous fortunes, many became vulnerable to cons.
These writers were part of the larger cultural movement centered in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood and offered complex portraits of Black life in America.
From jazz and blues to poetry and prose to dance and theater, the Harlem Renaissance of the early 20th century was electric with creative expression by African American artists.
Carry Nation had a bad history with alcohol—and she went to extremes to try and get it banned.
Learn about the notorious Chicago gangster—from the crime he did time for at Alcatraz to his feelings about the nickname 'Scarface.'
No beer? No problem. Better refrigeration, together with innovations in making and selling frozen treats, helped steer people toward this 'refreshing and palatable food.'
