Roaring Twenties ‑ Videos

Al Capone’s Secret City

Learn the history of Al Capone’s secret city.

The Prohibition Agents Who Became Masters of Disguise

When Prohibition began, two regular guys thought it would be fun to sign up to enforce the new law. They were right.

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.

Flashback: Scopes Monkey – Rare Footage of the “Trial of the Century”

The 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial was one of the most important legal battles of its time. Two of the greatest speakers of the era, Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan, faced off in a debate encompassing science, religion, and Constitutional rights.

18th and 21st Amendments

Did you know it wasn’t illegal to drink during Prohibition? Get the whole story behind the “noble experiment.”

Teapot Dome Scandal

Warren Harding’s presidency was rocked by scandal, including one that didn’t come to light until after he left office.

Prohibition Raid

Police raid a garage in Chicago that contained five hundred and thirty‑seven barrels of alcoholic beverage, $30,000 worth of illegal drink.

Harlem Renaissance

As African Americans flocked to Northern cities in the 1920s, they created a new social and cultural landscape.

This Day in History Video: What Happened on February 14

This Day in History Video: What Happened on August 23