When did the "modern" era begin?

[Beet]

In what era do you think the United States first reached the essential components of a "modern" society? Each era has its defining advances. I am genuinely torn between a few options, but in the end go with 1965-1990. Sorry, I cannot see how a country with openly racist laws can be considered as modern.

[Beet]

1920-1945

What racist laws are you referring to?

Jim Crow laws.

[Beet]

The advent of modernity and the creation breaks in history in general for the purposes of study, and U.S. history in particular, are very different. History is largely focused around political and sometimes economic events, and subject to the conveniences of disciplinary study. However, the larger fundamental divisions between the substantive completion of the process that began in England in the mid-1700s, representing a break from the largely agrarian past of 10,000 years, to the very different civilization we see today, is a much more encompassing endeavor.

For U.S. history study I would generally go with J.J.'s breaks, although the period after 1989 is not really best fit in the discipline of history but rather that of contemporary affairs and public policy.