GCSE
HISTORY
Paper 1 Section A/D: America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and
inequality
Interpretations Booklet
Interpretations A and B for use in answering Questions 01, 02 and 03
*256g8145/1a/d*
IB/M/Jun25/G4005/E4 8145/1A/D
, 2
Interpretation A Adapted from the autobiography of Cecil Roberts, ‘The Bright Twenties’,
published in 1970.
Roberts was an English journalist and novelist. His books were international
bestsellers. He had a celebrity lifestyle, travelled widely and stayed with wealthy
people. During the 1920s he toured America to promote his books.
The American economy boomed in the 1920s. Everyone bought cars, radios
and gadgets. Everyone invested in the stock market and made money.
Everyone gave you advice on which shares to buy. One day in New York,
even my barber told me to buy shares in the Standard Gas Company as they
had already doubled in value and would probably do so again. As share prices 5
rose, I joined the share buying craze and invested all my money in the stock
market.
Interpretation B Adapted from a report about the American economy in the 1920s written by
Vladimir Voitinsky.
Voitinsky wrote this report for the American Government in 1945. He was a
leading European economist who worked as an adviser for the American
government from 1935 to 1960.
The American economic boom did not last because people stopped buying
consumer goods. By the end of the 1920s, consumer demand had been
satisfied. Like many industries, the growth in car buying slowed down. Many
who bought shares made a lot of money quickly but later suffered greatly.
Other groups, including many farmers, struggled to make money throughout 5
the 1920s.
END OF INTERPRETATIONS
Copyright information
For confidentiality purposes, all acknowledgements of third-party copyright material are published in a separate booklet. This booklet is published after
each live examination series and is available for free download from www.aqa.org.uk.
Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders may have been unsuccessful and
AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team.
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
IB/M/Jun25/8145/1A/D
, Please write clearly in block capitals.
Centre number Candidate number
Surname
Forename(s)
Candidate signature
I declare this is my own work.
GCSE
HISTORY
Paper 1 Section A/D: America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and
inequality
Friday 16 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 2 hours
Materials
For Examiner’s Use
For this paper you must ensure you have:
• An Interpretations Booklet (enclosed). Question Mark
• The other optional Question Paper/Answer Book and Sources Booklet 01
for the Paper 1 Section B topic you are entered for.
You will have 2 hours to complete both papers. 02
03
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen. 04
• Fill in the boxes at the top of this page. 05
• Answer all six questions. 06
• Do all rough work in this book.
Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. TOTAL
• You must answer the questions in the spaces provided.
Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages.
• If you need extra space for your answer(s), use the lined pages at the end of
this book. Write the question number against your answer(s).
Information
• The maximum mark for this paper is 40.
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
Advice
• You are advised to spend about 1 hour on Paper 1 Section A and about 1 hour on Paper 1 Section B.
*jun2581451ad01*
IB/M/Jun25/G4005/E4 8145/1A/D
HISTORY
Paper 1 Section A/D: America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and
inequality
Interpretations Booklet
Interpretations A and B for use in answering Questions 01, 02 and 03
*256g8145/1a/d*
IB/M/Jun25/G4005/E4 8145/1A/D
, 2
Interpretation A Adapted from the autobiography of Cecil Roberts, ‘The Bright Twenties’,
published in 1970.
Roberts was an English journalist and novelist. His books were international
bestsellers. He had a celebrity lifestyle, travelled widely and stayed with wealthy
people. During the 1920s he toured America to promote his books.
The American economy boomed in the 1920s. Everyone bought cars, radios
and gadgets. Everyone invested in the stock market and made money.
Everyone gave you advice on which shares to buy. One day in New York,
even my barber told me to buy shares in the Standard Gas Company as they
had already doubled in value and would probably do so again. As share prices 5
rose, I joined the share buying craze and invested all my money in the stock
market.
Interpretation B Adapted from a report about the American economy in the 1920s written by
Vladimir Voitinsky.
Voitinsky wrote this report for the American Government in 1945. He was a
leading European economist who worked as an adviser for the American
government from 1935 to 1960.
The American economic boom did not last because people stopped buying
consumer goods. By the end of the 1920s, consumer demand had been
satisfied. Like many industries, the growth in car buying slowed down. Many
who bought shares made a lot of money quickly but later suffered greatly.
Other groups, including many farmers, struggled to make money throughout 5
the 1920s.
END OF INTERPRETATIONS
Copyright information
For confidentiality purposes, all acknowledgements of third-party copyright material are published in a separate booklet. This booklet is published after
each live examination series and is available for free download from www.aqa.org.uk.
Permission to reproduce all copyright material has been applied for. In some cases, efforts to contact copyright-holders may have been unsuccessful and
AQA will be happy to rectify any omissions of acknowledgements. If you have any queries please contact the Copyright Team.
Copyright © 2025 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
IB/M/Jun25/8145/1A/D
, Please write clearly in block capitals.
Centre number Candidate number
Surname
Forename(s)
Candidate signature
I declare this is my own work.
GCSE
HISTORY
Paper 1 Section A/D: America, 1920–1973: Opportunity and
inequality
Friday 16 May 2025 Morning Time allowed: 2 hours
Materials
For Examiner’s Use
For this paper you must ensure you have:
• An Interpretations Booklet (enclosed). Question Mark
• The other optional Question Paper/Answer Book and Sources Booklet 01
for the Paper 1 Section B topic you are entered for.
You will have 2 hours to complete both papers. 02
03
Instructions
• Use black ink or black ball-point pen. 04
• Fill in the boxes at the top of this page. 05
• Answer all six questions. 06
• Do all rough work in this book.
Cross through any work you do not want to be marked. TOTAL
• You must answer the questions in the spaces provided.
Do not write outside the box around each page or on blank pages.
• If you need extra space for your answer(s), use the lined pages at the end of
this book. Write the question number against your answer(s).
Information
• The maximum mark for this paper is 40.
• The marks for questions are shown in brackets.
Advice
• You are advised to spend about 1 hour on Paper 1 Section A and about 1 hour on Paper 1 Section B.
*jun2581451ad01*
IB/M/Jun25/G4005/E4 8145/1A/D
