The Golden Twenties

A student at the New York Public Library begins a research project about the United States in the 1920s. Frederick Lewis Allen agrees to help and uses several narrators to tell the youth about the decade. The framing sets up a filmic journey from 1920 through 1929 using newsreel footage and expert voices.

The Eighteenth Amendment is ratified, beginning Prohibition across the United States. The era sees a surge in speakeasies, bootlegging, and evolving attitudes toward alcohol. Law enforcement and organized crime become defining features of the decade.

The Nineteenth Amendment grants women the right to vote, transforming political participation. Women enter elections in greater numbers and demand a voice in social and cultural debates. The change helps fuel broader shifts of the Jazz Age era.

In the postwar era, the League of Nations is created to promote collective security. The United States declines to join, reflecting isolationist sentiment that shapes international diplomacy. The decision echoes throughout the decade as global leadership evolves.

The Jazz Age takes hold, reshaping music, dance, fashion, and social life across the country. Nightlife thrives and new forms of entertainment reflect changing attitudes toward modernity. The era's energy fuels a broader cultural transformation.

The Hall–Mills murder case captivates the nation, becoming one of the era's most sensational crimes. Heavy media coverage mirrors the 1920s fascination with scandal and mystery. The case underscores both curiosity and fear that pervade urban life.

President Warren G. Harding dies in 1923, and Calvin Coolidge assumes the presidency. Coolidge ushers in an era of political stability as the nation enjoys economic growth. The Teapot Dome scandal begins to tarnish the administration's reputation.

Calvin Coolidge wins reelection in 1924, signaling continued prosperity. The economy booms with consumer goods, widening wealth gaps and a sense of national confidence. Political echoes of corruption from earlier scandals linger in the background.

The Scopes Trial erupts over teaching evolution in public schools, pitting science against religious fundamentalism. Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan debate in a nationally watched courtroom drama. The trial crystallizes the cultural clashes of the era.

Rudolph Valentino's death in 1926 triggers extraordinary funeral crowds and intense media attention. The tragedy highlights the growing power of Hollywood stars and the public's fascination with celebrity. The event marks a high point in the era's film culture.

Charles Lindbergh makes a solo nonstop flight from New York to Paris, captivating the world. The daring achievement marks a milestone in aviation and American ingenuity. Public imagination soars as air travel becomes more than a dream.

The Kellogg–Briand Pact is signed, renouncing war as a national policy. The agreement reflects idealistic hopes for lasting peace in the interwar era. It stands as a symbol of 1920s diplomacy, even as tensions simmer elsewhere.

The stock market crash of 1929 signals the onset of the Great Depression and a dramatic shift in American life. Widespread unemployment and financial despair follow the collapse of confidence. The decade ends with a sobering reminder of economic fragility.