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.
Start Here
After enduring dark times, Americans were eager for a comeback.
The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 destroyed Black Wall Street in Greenwood, Tulsa.
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
Explore All Related Topics
It wasn’t gasoline—but moonshine—that fueled the growth of stock car racing in Appalachia and led to the rise of NASCAR.
Were airplanes used in the Tulsa Race Massacre? Explore eyewitness accounts, historical evidence and the debate over aerial attacks in 1921.
The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 destroyed Black Wall Street in Greenwood, Tulsa.
The Tulsa Race Massacre was one of the deadliest acts of racial violence in U.S. history.
A search for mass graves of the victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre highlights an event that some had tried to erase from history.
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).
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.
