The 1920s was a decade of wealth, decadence  and social changes. They were known as the Roaring Twenties, and the best place to experience this exciting time was New York City. But what was it really like? Prohibition In 1919, a new law in the US known as Prohibition made it illegal to buy and sell alcohol. But Prohibition didn't stop people drinking; it just drove the sale of strong alcoholic drink underground. Bootleggers  waited off the coast of New York after dark and brought illegal alcohol into the city. Jazz Jazz was the music of New York in the 1920s. In fact, the decade is called Jazz Age. The best place to listen to this new form of music was the Cotton Club in Harlem. All the great jazz musicians played at the Cotton Club, including Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington. Also, in 1942 George Gershwin composed the jazz--influenced Rhapsody in Blue. The piece has been called "a musical portrait of New York" and was used by Woody Allen in his filmManhattan. Art Deco Art Deco was the most popular style of the 1920s, with bright colors and geometric designs; it can be seen in the art, architecture and inside designs of the period. New York is full of Art Deco buildings, but the most famous ones are the Chrysler Building (built between 1928 and 1930) and the Empire State Building (built between 1930 and 1931). The Great Depression On 29th October, 1929, the Roaring Twenties came to a dramatic end. On that day (known as "Black Tuesday"), the US stock market crashed, causing the Great Depression. The economic downturn lasted ten years and affected most of the Western world. Unemployment in America reached 25% and the country didn't recover until after World War II. The 1920s is called   _  .
Country Music Time Jazz Age Folk Music Age Pop Age