The New Era: 1920s America-The 1920s was a vibrant period in the history of the United States. On the international scene, following the end of the First World War, the US developed an isolationist policy. Within American borders, important cultural developments characterised the decade. F. Scott Fitzgerald labelled the 1920s the 'Jazz Age', which witnessed the flowering of African-American art and literature in the 'Harlem Renaissance', the first American recipient of the Nobel Prize for literature (Sinclair Lewis), and the thriving urban social scene characterised by the image of the 'flapper' lifestyle. Other significant events of the decade included the debates started by Christian fundamentalists that fuelled the 'Scopes Trial' of 1925 and Prohibition, which was introduced in 1919. By the end of the decade, the US was headed towards a troubled time, and the stock market crash of 1929 and the ensuing Great Depression of the 1930s ultimately shattered the carefree mood of the 1920s.