1. AQA USA History
Exam Planning

2. Questions that Relate to Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
‘The main reason for the growth in the US economy from was improvements in transport.’ Assess the validity of this view.
‘The main effect of reconstruction for African Americans was the introduction of the Jim Crow Laws.’ Assess the validity of this view.
‘The main reason for westward expansion was the ‘Manifest Destiny’. Assess the validity of this view.
‘Reconstruction was a failure.’ Assess the validity of this view.
Knowledge and Paragraph Topics
Main reason/Line of reasoning

3. Questions that Relate to Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
‘The main reason for westward expansion was the development of the railroads.’ Assess the validity of this view.
‘The greatest threat to the position of African Americans in the South in the years was formal segregation.’ Assess the validity of this view.
‘The main effect of increased immigration to the USA in the years was the growth of nativism.’ Assess the validity of this view.
‘The end of Reconstruction by 1877 was due to the violence of the Southern segregationists.’ Assess the validity of this view.
Knowledge and Paragraph Topics
Main reason/Line of reasoning

4. Questions that Relate to Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
‘Between the end of the Civil War an 1890, the position of African American in the United States significantly improved.’ Assess the validity of this view.
To what extent was the rapid westward expansion of the United States in the years 1865 to 1890 due to the influence of ideas of ‘Manifest Destiny’?
The rapid growth of the US economy in the years 1865 to 1890 was due to the expansion of the railroads. Assess the validity of this view.
To what extent had any progress made by African Americans during Radical Reconstruction been lost by 1890?
Knowledge and Paragraph Topics
Main reason/Line of reasoning

5. Questions that Relate to Chapter 3 and earlier
‘The Republican Party dominated American politics in the years 1868 to 1912 because it was the party of big business.’ Assess the validity of this view.
‘In the years 1888 to 1900, the Democratic Party was badly weakened by the rise of Populism.’ Assess the validity of this view.
‘Divisions within the Democratic Party enabled the Republican Party to dominate US politics in the years 1896 to 1912.’ Assess the validity of this view.
To what extent was the growth of imperialism in the years due to the search for new markets?
Knowledge and Paragraph Topics
Main reason/Line of reasoning

6. Questions that Relate to Chapter 3 and later
‘The main reason for the growth of the Progressive Movement in the years was because of the need to regulate big business.’ Assess the validity of this view.
To what extent was the regulation of big business the most important achievement of the Progressive Movement in the years ?
‘Wilson was the most progressive of the American presidents in the years ’ Assess the validity of this view.
‘Between 1890 and 1920, the foreign policy of the United States continued to be dominated by isolationism.’ Assess the validity of this view.
Knowledge and Paragraph Topics
Main reason/Line of reasoning

7. Questions relating to around chapter 5
Question from chapter 4 that didn’t fit - ‘It was mass immigration that brought about the rapid expansion of the American economy in the years 1880 to Assess the validity of this view.
‘The main reason for the growth of the US economy, was technological change.’ Assess the validity of this view.
‘US involvement in the First and Second World Wars caused fundamental changes in American society between 1917 and 1945.’ Assess the validity of this view.
‘US foreign policy in the years 1919 to 1941 was based on isolationism.’ Assess the validity of this view.
Knowledge and Paragraph Topics
Main reason/Line of reasoning

8. Questions that Relate to Chapters 6,7 (not many of these)
‘The policies of US presidents had very little impact on the boom, bust and recovery of the American economy in the years 1920 to 1945.’ Assess the validity of this view.
‘The main reason for changes in US foreign policy in the years was rivalry with Japan.’ Assess the validity of this view.
To what extent was the Second World War the main reason for the changes in US foreign policy in the years ?
‘Between 1945 and 1968 it became clear that the United States was a deeply divided nation.’ Assess the validity of this view.
Knowledge and Paragraph Topics
Main reason/Line of reasoning

9. Questions that Relate to Chapter 6, 7+8
‘The main reason for divisions in US society in the years was the fear of communism.’ Assess the validity of this view
To what extent can the US policy of containment in Asia in the years 1945 to 1975 be described as a success?
Knowledge and Paragraph Topics
Main reason/Line of reasoning
Essays (25 mark each = 50 marks) (see pg of textbook)
What to do
Spend 45mins on each
Write an argument/counter-argument essay with three paragraphs e.g. three factors or one agree with two disagree.
Have an intro that sets out your argument and indicates your paragraph sub-topics. See example on pg101.
Have strong, clear judgements at the beginning of your paragraphs.
Weigh up both the strengths and weaknesses of a topic/factor within your paragraphs, always referring to specific and specialist own knowledge.
End your paragraphs with an explained judgement that weights up the topic discussed against topics in other paragraphs and is supported by at least one bit of key evidence.
Write a conclusion that follows the following formula; Main argument, counter-argument acknowledge, limitations of counter-argument exposed, summary point hammering home why your main argument is the correct one.
Common Mistakes
Story telling instead of analysis supported by evaluation.
Not focussing on the key words in the question
Not having enough knowledge, relying on vague knowledge instead.
Not showing the relative importance of factors or not comparing topics.
Not having a firm, clear, well-argued and supported conclusion.

10. Extras from Past Papers, added as they come up
‘In the years to 1920, the USA remained a divided society.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view of the USA in the early 20th century.
‘The presidents of the Gilded Age were weak’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view.
Knowledge and Paragraph Topics
Main reason/Line of reasoning