20th Century History By the Decades

The Presidents

U.S. President Warren G. Harding
Basic data and links to additional information on the 29th President of the United States (March 4, 1921 to August 2, 1923). See also a larger site on President Harding.

U.S. President Calvin Coolidge
Basic data and links to additional information on the 30th President of the United States (August 3, 1923 to March 3, 1929). See also a larger site on President Coolidge.
 

Prohibition

American Prohibition of the 1920's
A collection of four articles about American Prohibition of the 1920's. See also a much larger collection of documents on Temperance and Prohibition. It covers all sides of the issue with many primary source documents.

The Ohio Dry Campaign of 1918
The Twenties and Prohibition are better understood after reading about the campaign against alcohol. This Ohio campaign was successful, and includes the posters at the bottom of the page.

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Historical Events and Institutions

The Scopes 'Monkey Trial' - July 10, 1925 -July 25, 1925
The famous trial that pitted Darwinism against Science is presented here, including a "Reporter's Memo" from the trial.

Women's History Resources
Women finally got the right to vote in 1920. Here is a set of resources related to that struggle and after.

U.S. Labor History
Major events and people in labor relations (see 1920s related topics) .

Chicago: Destination for the Great Migration
African-Americans left the South in great numbers after the Civil War, and The Twenties was a period of much activity in Chicago. This presentation includes both images and text.

The Ku Klux Klan In the 1920s and In Other Times
A terrorist organization, mainly located in the U.S. South, run by white people in order to terrorize African  Americans. It was formed and became quite active in the decades follwing the Civil War, but became most foreceful starting in the 1920s. This historical overview is provided by the Spartacus Educationall, of Great Britain. See also: Ku Klux Klan from the Handbook of Texas, and Ku Klux Klan from the Columbia Encyclopedia.

The Palmer Raids
The "Red Scare" was used in this period to limit freedom of speech by those who disagreed with U.S. government policy. The "Palmer Raids" of 1918-1921 were led by the the U.S. Attorney General against those believed to by communists or socialists.
 

Popular Culture

Greatest Films of the 1920s
This essay gives an overview of the great films of the decade, and links to special sections on selected films of that period. Well written and documented! Makes reference to related historical events and influences.

Jazz Age Chicago
"Between 1900 and 1930... by popularizing not just jazz music, but countless other amusements as well, Jazz Age Chicagoans laid the groundwork for the spread of mass culture across the nation during the twentieth century. This web site examines some of the ways by which this occurred."

The Jazz Age, and the Crash of '29
A starting place for the exploration of the culture of The Twenties.

Jazz Age Biographies
Background and biographical information on some musical talent of The Twenties.

Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro
A Hypermedia Edition of the March 1925 Survey Graphic Harlem Number. Historical magazine issue that "was the first of several attempts to formulate a political and cultural representation of the New Negro and the Harlem community", now known as the "Harlem Renaissance".

A Brief Guide to the Harlem Renaissance
Information on several important African-American poets is offered here, with brief essays and examples of their poetry, along with a picture of the poet.

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