AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2J America: A Nation Divided, c.1845–1877 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: A-level History - Component 2J America: A Nation Divided, c.1845–1877 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) A-level HISTORY Component 2J America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877 Friday 7 June 2024 Materials For this paper you must have:  an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions Afternoon Time allowed: 2 hours 30 minutes  Use black ink or black ball-point pen.  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7042/2J.  Answer three questions. In Section A answer Question 01. In Section B answer two questions. Information  The marks for questions are shown in brackets.  The maximum mark for this paper is 80.  You will be marked on your ability to: – use good English – organise information clearly – use specialist vocabulary where appropriate. Advice  You are advised to spend about: – 1 hour on Question 01 from Section A – 45 minutes on each of the two questions answered from Section B. IB/M/Jun24/G4006/E6 7042/2 A-Level History: Component 2J - America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877 Exam Preview This component examines the political, social, and economic divisions in the United States between 1845 and 1877, focusing on the causes and consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Key themes include:  Westward Expansion and Slavery (1845–1860): The impact of territorial expansion on national unity, including the debate over the extension of slavery into new states and territories, and the tensions between the North and South. The role of events like the Mexican-American War (1846 1848) and the Compromise of 1850 in deepening divisions.  The Road to Civil War (1850s): The growing sectional conflict, including the Dred Scott decision, the rise of the abolitionist movement, and key events like the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) and "Bleeding Kansas." The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, which led to Southern secession.  The Civil War (1861–1865): The causes, course, and major battles of the Civil War, including the political, military, and social aspects. The key role of Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation (1863), and the ultimate defeat of the Confederacy.  Reconstruction (1865–1877): The challenges of rebuilding the South after the Civil War, including the political and social struggle over the integration of formerly enslaved people into American society. The policies of Presidents Andrew Johnson and Ulysses S. Grant, the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups.  The Legacy of Division: The long-term consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction, including the social and economic impact on the South, the enduring racial tensions, and the establishment of a racially segregated society. This exam assesses the deep divisions within the United States during this period, exploring the causes and effects of the Civil War and the efforts to reconstruct the nation in its aftermath. It looks at the political, social, and economic forces that shaped this critical era in American history. 2 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2J Section A Answer Question 01. Source A From a letter sent to Abraham Lincoln by Horace Greeley, 19 August 1862. Greeley was a Radical Republican and editor of the New York Daily Tribune, an abolitionist newspaper. I don’t need to remind you that a great proportion of Republicans, who rejoiced at your election, and who desire a decisive ending of the rebellion now devastating our country, are disappointed and deeply pained by the policy you seem to be pursuing with regard to the slaves still kept in the rebel states. Many Republicans think you are disastrously neglecting your official duty with regard to the provisions for emancipation in the new Confiscation Act. Those provisions were designed to fight slavery. They prescribe that men who are loyal to the Union, and willing to shed their blood for the Union, should no longer be held in bondage to rebellious traitors, who for twenty years have been plotting against, and for sixteen months have been fighting, our country. Why these Confederate traitors should be treated with tenderness by you, to the prejudice of the dearest rights of loyal men, we cannot understand. 5 10 Source B From a speech to the House of Representatives delivered by Clement Vallandigham of Ohio, 14 January 1863. Vallandigham was a member of the Peace Democrats. From the beginning of this Civil War, I have addressed multiple violations of the laws and the Constitution by President Lincoln and those under his leadership. Lincoln and his administration have committed many wrongs, such as repeated arbitrary arrests and the suspension of individual rights. They also have prohibited free speech, and committed many other wrongs against public liberties and private rights. All this has made this country one of the worst dictatorships on Earth. I will continue to denounce Lincoln and his administration. Twenty months have gone by, but the rebellion is still not crushed. The Confederate military is as strong as ever and continues to be successful against the Union army. The Union is not restored. The Constitution has not been maintained. With over 300 000 either dead or crippled from war, the Confederate flag is still near the Potomac river, and the Confederate government in Richmond is stronger than ever. 5 10 3 Source C From a statement made by General Grant, 8 March 1864. This statement was reported to his personal aide, Horace Porter, who published it in his memoirs of 1897. In my first interview with President Lincoln, he told me that he didn’t pretend to know anything about the handling of troops, and it was with reluctance that he ever interfered in the movements of army commanders. He knew swiftness was absolutely necessary and that as long as armies were waiting to advance on the enemy, the government was spending millions daily. There was a limit to the strains of war. Sooner or later, a time would be reached when the spirits and resources of the people would become exhausted if the war was not won quickly. Lincoln decided to use his executive orders for the purpose of hurrying the movements of commanding generals. He believed I knew the need to act swiftly and wasn’t going to interfere with my operations. He did not want to know my plans. He said that it was better that he didn’t know them, for everybody he met tried to find out from him something about my plans to end the war. 5 10 0 1 With reference to these sources and your understanding of the historical context, assess the value of these three sources to an historian studying Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War. [30 marks] Turn over for Section B IB/M/Jun24/7042/2J Turn over ► 4 IB/M/Jun24/7042/2J Section B Answer two questions. 0 2 ‘In the years 1850 to 1854, the growth of abolitionist sentiment in the Northern States was the main cause of division between North and South.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] 0 3 To what extent was Republican victory in the 1860 election the result of the weaknesses of the Democratic Party? [25 marks] 0 4 ‘There was no significant improvement to the lives of African-Americans in the years 1867 to 1877.’ Assess the validity of this view. [25 marks] END OF QUESTIONS 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 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 © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. A-level HISTORY 7042/2J Component 2J America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877 Mark scheme June 2024 Version: 1.0 Final MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/2J – JUNE 2024 Mark schemes are prepared by the Lead Assessment Writer and considered, together with the relevant questions, by a panel of subject teachers. This mark scheme includes any amendments made at the standardisation events which all associates participate in and is the scheme which was used by them in this examination. The standardisation process ensures that the mark scheme covers the students’ responses to questions and that every associate understands and applies it in the same correct way. As preparation for standardisation each associate analyses a number of students’ scripts. Alternative answers not already covered by the mark scheme are discussed and legislated for. If, after the standardisation process, associates encounter unusual answers which have not been raised they are required to refer these to the Lead Examiner. It must be stressed that a mark scheme is a working document, in many cases further developed and expanded on the basis of students’ reactions to a particular paper. Assumptions about future mark schemes on the basis of one year’s document should be avoided; whilst the guiding principles of assessment remain constant, details will change, depending on the content of a particular examination paper. No student should be disadvantaged on the basis of their gender identity and/or how they refer to the gender identity of others in their exam responses. A consistent use of ‘they/them’ as a singular and pronouns beyond ‘she/her’ or ‘he/him’ will be credited in exam responses in line with existing mark scheme criteria. Further copies of this mark scheme are available from Copyright information AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre. Copyright © 2024 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 2 MARK SCHEME – A-LEVEL HISTORY – 7042/2J – JUNE 2024 Level of response marking instructions Level of response mark schemes are broken down into levels, each of which has a descriptor. The descriptor for the level shows the average performance for the level. There are marks in each level. Before you apply the mark scheme to a student’s answer read through the answer and annotate it (as instructed) to show the qualities that are being looked for. You can then apply the mark scheme. Step 1 Determine a level Start at the lowest level of the mark scheme and use it as a ladder to see whether the answer meets the descriptor for that level. The descriptor for the level indicates the different qualities that might be seen in the student’s answer for that level. If it meets the lowest level then go to the next one and decide if it meets this level, and so on, until you have a match between the level descriptor and the answer. With practice and familiarity, you will find that for better answers you will be able to quickly skip through the lower levels of the mark scheme. When assigning a level, you should look at the overall quality of the answer and not look to pick holes in small and specific parts of the answer where the student has not performed quite as well as the rest. If the answer covers different aspects of different levels of the mark scheme you should use a best fit approach for defining the level and then use the variability of the response to help decide the mark within the level, ie if the response is predominantly Level 3 with a small amount of Level 4 material it would be placed in Level 3 but be awarded a mark near the top of the level because of the Level 4 content. Step 2 Determine a mark Once you have assigned a level you need to decide on the mark. The descriptors on how to allocate marks can help with this. The exemplar materials used during standardisation will help. There will be an answer in the standardising materials which will correspond with each level of the mark scheme. This answer will have been awarded a mark by the Lead Ex