AQA_2024: AS History - The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975 Component 1K: From Civil War to World War, 1865–1920 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme)

AQA_2024: AS History - The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975 Component 1K: From Civil War to World War, 1865–1920 (Merged Question Paper and Marking Scheme) AS HISTORY The making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975 Component 1K From Civil War to World War, 1865–1920 Wednesday 15 May 2024 Afternoon Time allowed: 1 hour 30 minutes Materials For this paper you must have:  an AQA 16-page answer book. Instructions  Use black ink or black ball-point pen.  Write the information required on the front of your answer book. The Paper Reference is 7041/1K.  Answer two questions. In Section A answer Question 01. In Section B answer either Question 02 or Question 03. Information  The marks for questions are shown in brackets.  The maximum mark for this paper is 50.  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: – 50 minutes on Section A – 40 minutes on Section B. For AS History: The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865–1975, Component 1K: From Civil War to World War, 1865–1920, focus on the following key areas: 1. Reconstruction ():  Post-Civil War Challenges: Study the efforts to rebuild the South after the Civil War, including the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, and the challenges of integrating former Confederate states into the Union.  Presidential vs. Congressional Reconstruction: Understand the differing approaches of Presidents Lincoln and Johnson versus Congress in reconstructing the South and securing civil rights for freedmen.  End of Reconstruction: Review the collapse of Reconstruction, the rise of white supremacy in the South (e.g., Ku Klux Klan), and the Compromise of 1877, which effectively ended federal intervention. 2. Industrialization and the Gilded Age (1870s-1900):  Economic Growth: Understand the rapid industrialization of the U.S., the rise of big businesses (e.g., railroads, steel, oil), and the emergence of tycoons like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller.  Labor and Social Issues: Study the growth of labor unions and the widespread social inequality, leading to strikes like the Pullman Strike (1894).  Immigration and Urbanization: Focus on the massive wave of immigration and the resulting urban growth, alongside the challenges of overcrowded cities, poverty, and political corruption. 3. The Progressive Era ():  Reforms: Analyze the progressive reforms aimed at addressing social, political, and economic problems, including the work of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Key reforms included trust-busting, labor rights, and women's suffrage. 4. Imperialism and Foreign Policy ():  Spanish-American War (1898): Review the causes and consequences of the Spanish-American War, including U.S. acquisition of territories like Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam.  The Rise of American Imperialism: Understand the motivations for American imperialism, such as economic interests, military strategy (e.g., the Monroe Doctrine), and the desire to spread American ideals. 5. World War I and American Neutrality ():  American Neutrality: Understand the reasons why the U.S. initially maintained neutrality in World War I, focusing on isolationist sentiment and the reluctance to engage in European conflicts.  Entry into the War: Examine the factors that led to U.S. entry into World War I, including the Zimmermann Telegram, unrestricted submarine warfare, and economic interests.  Impact of World War I: Study the role of the U.S. in World War I, including its contributions to the Allied victory, and the post-war impact on American society and politics. 6. Social and Cultural Changes ():  The Rise of Mass Culture: Analyze the cultural developments of the period, including the growth of entertainment (e.g., Hollywood), sports, and the influence of the media. 7041/1K IB/M/Jun24/E8 2 Section A Answer Question 01. Extract A Americans were proud of their record of economic growth between 1900 and 1920. A steady flow of immigrants supplied all the manpower required and the output of manufacturing more than doubled in the first twelve years of the century. The attraction of the USA was so great that immigration raised the population from 75 million in 1900 to over 100 million in 1917, with immigrants willing to suffer hardship both in their journeys to the USA and in the cities where they arrived for the prospect of jobs in the booming industries: gold in Alaska, oil in Texas, fruit in California. They were rewarded as the wages of unskilled immigrants rose as old industries thrived and new ones appeared. Adapted from O Handlin, The Americans, 1963 5 Extract B In the first two decades after 1900, the USA was rich and productive and large numbers of immigrants arrived. However, prejudice against them remained strong and the fundamental conditions experienced by the vast majority of immigrants, as by other members of the working class, did not change. Some of these immigrants were able to escape poverty and rise up through society. For example, a study of New York’s immigrants between 1905 and 1915 found that 32% of Italians and Jews rose above working-class status. However, in one four-year period, 73 Italians returned home for every 100 that arrived in the USA. Adapted from H Zinn, A People’s History of the United States, 1980 5 0 1 With reference to these extracts and your understanding of the historical context, which of these two extracts provides the more convincing interpretation of the experience of immigrants in the USA in the years 1900 to 192