Paper 1 Section A/D: America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and inequality

June 2020

Q1: How does Interpretation B differ from Interpretation A about Roosevelt?

Explain your answer based on what it says in Interpretations A and B.

Answer:

Analyse how interpretations of a key feature of a period differ For example, Interpretation A argues that Roosevelt’s policies damaged the economic freedom of Americans whereas Interpretation B says that Roosevelt’s changes brought hope and confidence to people. For example, Interpretation A says that Roosevelt had a bad effect on America whereas Interpretation B says that he had a good effect.

Q2: Why might the authors of Interpretations A and B have a different interpretation

about Roosevelt? Explain your answer using Interpretations A and B and your contextual knowledge.

Answer:

For example, Interpretation A is by someone who believed in laissez faire government and did not agree with the Alphabet Agencies that controlled how businesses should be run. Whereas, Reagan saw the benefits that the New Deal brought to ordinary people who had suffered during the Depression. For example, Interpretation B is taken from a speech celebrating Roosevelt’s life so it will only contain positive comments. The title of Interpretation B reveals that Flynn did not support the idea that Roosevelt was a good president.

Q3: Which interpretation gives the more convincing opinion about Roosevelt?

Explain your answer based on your contextual knowledge and what it says in Interpretations A and B.

Answer:

For example, Interpretation A is convincing because there were critics at the time who argued that Roosevelt’s New Deal was a form of dictatorship. They believed that it would make people unable to stand on their own feet because the government was providing so much support. Although this criticism came mainly from the Republic party there were also critics, such as Flynn, within the Democrats. The Supreme Court even ruled that some of the Alphabet Agencies were illegal because the Federal government was infringing on individual state rights. For example, Interpretation B is convincing because millions of people were inspired and helped by Roosevelt’s willingness to spend money on ‘relief, recovery and reform’. His campaign theme tune was ‘Happy Days are here again’ and he appealed to ordinary people with his promise to end the Depression. He created a sense of hope with his fireside chats and created alphabet agencies that made jobs. For example, Interpretation A is convincing because many people criticised the New Deal for interfering with business and giving workers more rights. Trade Unions, minimum wages and maximum working hours all came at the expense of company profits. For example, Interpretation B is convincing because many people were happy with Roosevelt as their President. He was elected twice as during

Q4: Describe two problems faced by immigrants to America in the 1920s.

Answer:

One problem was that America was afraid that immigrants from Eastern Europe would bring communist ideas with them. During the Red Scare and ‘Palmer Raids’ thousands of people were arrested and deported for being suspected communists. Another problem was the restrictions placed on the numbers of people allowed to enter America during the 1920s. Immigration Acts were passed that based permitted entry figures on quotas. For example, immigrants from Eastern Europe faced prejudice because they had different languages and culture from the earlier immigrants who had come from Northern Europe.

Q5: In what ways were the lives of Americans affected by the economic boom of the

1920s? Explain your answer.

Answer:

For example, the economic boom brought financial benefit to people’s lives and this resulted in a change in lifestyle. The cycle of prosperity simultaneously provided employment and consumer demand to such an extent that a new modern culture emerged called the ‘Roaring 20s’. For example, the lives of people were affected by the increased availability of mass-produced cars during the economic boom. Once Henry Ford used an assembly line to produce cars quickly and cheaply, demand soared. Car manufacturing also created jobs in the industries that supplied materials for cars such as leather, glass and rubber. For example, share speculation made many people very rich. Ordinary people began to trade in shares by buying on the margin as prices continued to rise. The number of people making profit by owning shares rose by millions. For example, people had more leisure time and disposable income so spent it at the cinema and in jazz nightclubs. For example, people could buy more consumer goods such as radios.

Q6: Which of the following brought more change to American society after 1950:

• campaigns for civil rights and equality • the actions of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson? Explain your answer with reference to both bullet points. 206G8145/1a/d

Answer:

For example, both factors worked in combination to cause change in society. The campaigns groups generated widespread publicity for their causes and this created pressure on politicians and the law making bodies. Presidents were motivated by the need to win elections and would not have made changes if it risked alienating voters. For example, Civil Rights campaigns created more educational opportunities for African-Americans. The Brown v Board of Education of Topeka law suit in 1954 resulted in the banning of segregated schools. The Feminist movement achieved change in society by campaigning for equality in the law for women. This resulted in the Supreme court ruling that abortion was legal so that women were free to decide what happened to their own body. For example, President Kennedy supported the Civil Rights movement by standing up to Southern politicians who were racist. He sent soldiers to protect a black student at Mississippi University. This helped to accelerate desegregation in education. The social welfare measures in President Johnson’s ‘Great Society’ programme such as investment in education, housing and Medicare brought opportunities to African American because they were targeted at the lowest earners in society. For example, Martin Luther King led the Civil Rights Movement and he organised a non-violent march to Washington to protest about racial inequality and segregation in America. Hundreds of thousands of people took part and he made a speech called ‘I have a dream’ which became famous around the world. Other forms of non-violent protest included ‘sit-ins’ at segregated restaurants and ‘Freedom Rides’ in areas where buses had not been desegregated. For example, the bus boycott created equality on public transport. President Johnson passed Civil Rights Acts in the 1960s.