Edexcel AS & A Level History: Democracies in 20th Century Britain & the USA, Summaries of History

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Pearson

Edexcel AS and A Level

in History

TOPIC BOOKLET

Route H: Democracies in change: Britain and the USA in the twentieth

century

Route H: Democracies in change: Britain and the USA in the twentieth century This topic booklet has been written to support teachers delivering Route H of the 2015 AS and A level History specifications. We’re providing it in Word so that it’s easy for you to take extracts or sections from it and adapt them or give them to students. For the route as a whole and for each topic within it, we’ve provided an overview which helps to provide contextual background and explain why we think these are fascinating topics to study. These overviews could be used, for example, in open evening materials or be given to students at the start of the course. You’ll also find a student timeline, which can be given to students for them to add to and adapt, a list of resources for students and for teachers, and – where possible – information about overlap between these topics and the 2008 specification. For more detail about planning, look out for the Getting Started guide, Course planner and schemes of work.

Democracies in change: Britain and the USA in the twentieth century Democracies in change: Britain and the USA in the twentieth century

Overview

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Britain’s welfare system provides health care and education for all its citizens and the USA has voted into power a mixed-race president. In 1918, both of these things would have been unimaginable to most of those living at the time. Route H studies how the two leading western democracies responded and adapted to the challenges brought about by the greater political, social and economic expectations of ordinary people in the twentieth century. The First World War was an event which sent shockwaves around the globe, affecting politics, society and economics on both national and international scales. The two major western democracies, Britain and the USA, emerged on the surface completely victorious. ‘Modern’ twentieth-century liberal democracies with their representative governments and capitalist economies had defeated the stalwarts of nineteenth-century authoritarianism and protectionism: Germany and Austria-Hungary. It appeared that a smooth future of stability and growth was assured. However, the post-1918 world proved to be a great challenge. Internationally, both countries were faced with the Second World War and world economic downturns in the 1930s and 1970s. While at home workers, women, youth, the poor and social, racial and ethnic minorities all struggled for greater representation, equal opportunities and economic security. Both countries would survive without political revolution occurring but would experience varying degrees of political, economic and social transformation. In this route, students study: Britain transformed, 1918– and either The USA, c1920–55: boom, bust and recovery or The USA, 1955–92: conformity and challenge. A student timeline is given at the end of this document.

Paper 1, Option 1H: Britain transformed, 1918–

Overview

This option comprises a study of British history from the end of the First World War in 1918 to the election of Tony Blair as prime minister in 1997. During this time Britain was challenged by war, fluctuations in the economy, technological advancement and the desire for greater social equality. The response to these challenges has in many ways created the political, social and economic climate of the twenty-first century today. In 1918, Britain emerged from the First World War a victorious power, having survived four years of one of the most destructive wars in history. However, the end of the war did not bring peace or prosperity or social stability. Britain was fighting against the communists in Russia, in massive debt to the USA and facing the social consequences of fighting a total war. Not only that but domestic problems which had been put on hold from 1914 were about to re-emerge: Irish independence, working-class protest and votes for women. Indeed, some commentators have gone as far as to suggest (jokingly) that with America becoming ‘top nation’ British history actually came to a ‘full stop’ in 1918. Option 1H will show that, far from coming to an end, the British response to the challenges of the twentieth century created a history which is dynamic, interesting and, at times, controversial. Britain experienced the General Strike (1926), the abdication crisis (1936), the Blitz (1940), the birth of the National Health Service (1948), the Suez Crisis (1956), the ‘Swinging Sixties’ and the election of the first woman Prime Minister (1979) to name just a few events. The broad history of this period is one in which the male-dominated, class-based political and social system of 1918 was challenged both by those who felt excluded from the system and by the technological advances of the twentieth century. Historians differ in their opinions as to the extent to which this situation had been transformed by 1979 but clear trends can be identified. Many people became less deferent to the class system and more secular (less religious). More people gained the right to vote and political representation became more diverse. The rights of women along with social and ethnic minorities became increasingly recognised. A national welfare system was created to provide social security, health and education. A consensus emerged over the necessity of a mixed economy: part capitalist, part socialist. While technological developments modernised communications and saw the spread of mass popular culture. In the 1980s, the ability of Britain to adapt to these trends and challenges further came into question. The conservatism of Margaret Thatcher suggested that social and cultural changes had, in fact, undermined social stability, and that the mixed economy had undermined Britain’s economic strength by becoming imbalanced towards socialism. Her attempts to ‘roll back’ some of the trends of the previous decades were more successful in some areas than others and often very controversial. Historians still debate the impact of her time in office (1979–90). However, by 1997, at the end of 18 years of conservative government, most agree that politics and economics had become more conservative while social and cultural challenges continued apace. Indeed, the arguments surrounding the role of public services, banking practices, moral values and national identity today can all be found in the controversy of the 1980s and the challenges brought about by the events of the twentieth century. The option is divided into the following four themes, though students need to appreciate the linkages between themes, as questions may target the content of more than one.

British attitudes towards racial minorities and on immigration. Students should understand the key trends and changing attitudes within society across the period and be able to assess the extent, and nature, of changes that occurred. Theme 4: The changing quality of life, 1918– In studying Theme 4, students will need to understand the patterns of, and reasons for, the changing quality of life in Britain in the years 1918–79. They should understand, despite quantitative improvements in the standard of living overall, the reasons for, and nature of, differences in the quality of life in Britain during the period. Students should be aware of the influence of state intervention and social welfare measures on living standards. Students should understand the key trends in the specified areas of social life and be able to assess the extent, and nature, of changes that occurred.

Debate: What impact did Thatcher’s governments (1970–90) have on Britain,

The four issues identified in the specification highlight key aspects of the debate. This topic focuses on the debate concerning the nature and effect of Margaret Thatcher’s three terms as prime minister from 1979–90, and the consequences to 1997. Students will need to know the main features of Thatcher’s monetarist economic policies, and her aims to regulate the powers of the trade unions and reduce the role of the state in British politics, economic and society. They will also need to be aware of her conservative social values and belief in self-help and individualism. Students will need to consider the extent to which monetarism was successful in overcoming economic problems, particularly unemployment, high interest rates and inflation, in the years to 1997. They will need to understand the effects of privatisation and reduced spending on the public sector. Students should be aware of the extent to which support for, and opposition to her policies, polarised politics and society during the 1980s, and the consequences for the Major governments to 1997. They should be aware of the effect of Thatcherism on the political climate and the consequences for all of the major political parties in Britain. Students should understand the extent of the debate as to whether Thatcher’s policies benefited or damaged Britain.

Mapping to 2008 specification

There is overlap between the post-war content of this topic and the following topics from the 2008 specification: ● Unit 2, Option E, Topic E1: British Political History, 1945–90: Consensus and Conflict ● Unit 2, Option E, Topic E2: Mass Media, Popular Culture and Social Change in Britain since 1945

Resources and references

The table below lists a range of resources that could be used by teachers and/or students for this topic. This list will be updated as and when new resources become available: for example, if new textbooks are published. New textbooks for this route are expected to be published by Pearson and Hodder in 2015.

Inclusion of resources in this list does not constitute endorsement of those materials. While these resources — and others — may be used to support teaching and learning, the official specification and associated assessment guidance materials are the only authoritative source of information and should always be referred to for definitive guidance. Links to third-party websites are controlled by others and are subject to change. Resource Type For students and/or teachers? Andrew Boxer, The End of Consensus: Britain 1945–90 (Heinemann, 2009) Textbook For students and teachers. Full coverage of political, economic and social developments from 1945. Ian Cawood, Britain in the Twentieth Century (Routledge, 2004) Textbook For students and teachers. Chapter 9 has a useful survey of social and economic change 1945–79. Stuart Clayton, Mass Media Popular Culture and Social Change in Britain since 1945 (Pearson, 2010) Textbook For students and teachers. Excellent on cultural developments after 1945. Diana Laffin, Britain since 1945, Enquiring History (Hodder, 2013) Textbook For students and teachers. Michael Lynch, Britain 1900–51 (Hodder,

Textbook For students and teachers. Full coverage of political and economic developments up to

Michael Lynch, Britain 1945– (Hodder, 2008) Textbook For students and teachers. Full coverage of political and economic developments up to

Malcolm Pearce and Geoffrey Stewart, British Political History 1867– (Routledge, 2002) Textbook For teachers and students who like to explore issues in depth. Robert Pearce , Contemporary Britain 1914–1979 (Longman, 2004) Textbook For students and teachers. Covers political, social and economic developments.

Jeffrey Hill, Sport, Leisure and Culture in Twentieth-Century Britain (Palgrave Mcmillan, 2002) Academic For teachers. Hill examines the social history of recreation, including: the development of spectator sports; the attractions of the cinema; tourism; the role of the media; the significance of clubs and societies. David Kynaston, Austerity Britain (Tales of a New Jerusalem) (Bloomsbury, 2008) Academic For teachers and students who enjoy research in depth. This book covers the period 1945–

David Kynaston, Family Britain, 1951– 1957 (Tales of a New Jerusalem) (Bloomsbury, 2010) Academic For teachers and students who enjoy research in depth. Very readable and focused on the lives of ordinary people. David Kynaston, Modernity Britain: Book One: Opening the Box, 1957– (Bloomsbury 2013) Academic For teachers and students who enjoy research in depth. Very readable and focused on the lives of ordinary people. Andrew Marr, The Making of Modern Britain (Macmillan, 2009) Academic For teachers. Also accessible by students. Covers the interwar period. Andrew Marr, A History of Modern Britain (Pan, 2009) Academic For teachers. Also accessible by students. Includes some useful material on cultural developments after 1945. Kenneth O Morgan (editor), The Oxford History of Britain (Oxford University Press, revised edition, 2010) Academic For students and teachers. Good for tracing themes.

Dominic Sandbrook, White Heat: A History of Britain in the Swinging Sixties 1964– 1970 (Abacus 2009) Academic For teachers and students who enjoy research in depth. Very useful for looking at social change. Dominic Sandbrook, Never Had It So Good: A History of Britain from Suez to the Beatles (Abacus 2010) Academic For teachers and students who enjoy research in depth. Full coverage of political and social developments. Dominic Sandbrook, Seasons in the Sun: The Battle for Britain, 1974–1979 (Penguin,

Academic For teachers and students. Very readable account of the turbulent years. History Today and History Review Ian Cawood, Harold Wilson: A Reappraisal , History Review, 2006: www.historytoday.com/ian-cawood/ harold-wilson-reappraisal Liz Homans, Swinging Sixties: The Abolition of Capital Punishment, History Today , Volume 58, 2008: www.historytoday.com/liz-homans/swing ing-sixties-abolition-capital-punishment Paul Rich, Black People in Britain: Response and Reaction, 1945–62, History Today , Volume 36, 1986: www.historytoday.com/paul-rich/black- people-britain-response-and-reaction- 1945- Articles Accessible to students. A subscription is required to read articles online (£). British Political Speech www.britishpoliticalspeech.org/ Website For teachers. The archive contains speeches by Conservative, Labour and Liberal/Liberal Democrat Party leaders going back to 1895. Spartacus Educational http://spartacus-educational.com/ Website For students. Useful starting point for research. BBC Andrew Marr , The Making of Modern Britain (2009) DVD For students and teachers. Episodes 4–6 cover the period 1920–45. BBC Andrew Marr, History of Modern Britain (2009) DVD For students and teachers. Five episodes spanning British history from 1945–2007.

Resource Type For students and/or teachers? Anthony Seldon and Daniel Collings, Britain under Thatcher ( Seminar Studies In History, Routledge, 1999) Textbook For students and teachers. Useful analysis. Margaret Thatcher , The Downing Street Years (HarperPress, 2012) Autobiography For teachers and students. Margaret Thatcher, The Path to Power ( HarperPress, 2012 ) Autobiography For teachers and students. Covers the period up to the Conservative electoral victory in 1979. Jonathan Aitkin , Margaret Thatcher: Power and Personality (Bloomsbury Continuum, 2014) Academic For teachers. An insider’s view on Mrs Thatcher. Eric J, Evans, Thatcher and Thatcherism (The Making of the Contemporary World) (Routledge, 2013) Academic For teachers. Analytical with balanced accounts. Simon Jenkins, Thatcher and Sons: A Revolution in Three Acts (Penguin, 2007) Academic For teachers. Focused on Thatcher’s economic policy and it legacy. Dennis A Kavanah, Thatcherism and British Politics: The End of Consensus? (Oxford University Press, 1987) Academic For teachers. Comprehensive study of the significance of the Thatcher era. Charles Moore, Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography, Volume One: Not For Turning (Penguin, 2014) Academic For teachers Alwyn W Turner, Rejoice! Rejoice!: Britain in the 1980s (Aurum Press Ltd, 2013) Academic For teachers and students. An insight into the political, economic and cultural developments of the decade. Alwyn W Turner, A Classless Society: Britain in the 1990s (Aurum Press Ltd,

Academic For teachers and students. Covers the impact of Thatcherism. Kent Matthews, Patrick Minford, Stephen Nickell and Elhanan Helpman, Mrs Thatcher's Economic Policies 1979– 1987, Economic Policy, Volume 2, Number 5, The Conservative Revolution, October 1987, pages 57–

Available online: www.jstor.org/stable/ Article For teachers. Academic article looking at Thatcher’s economic policies. Subscription needed (£).

David Metz, Maggie’s Lucky Strik e, History Today, Volume 54, 2004: www.historytoday.com/david-metz/ma ggie%E2%80%99s-lucky-strike Article Accessible to students. Subscription required to access article online (£). Examination of the miners’ strike. The Iron Lady (2011) Film For teachers and students. Oscar winning portrayal of Thatcher’s life. The Rise and Fall of Margaret Thatcher (2013) Film For teachers and students. Docudrama of Thatcher’s time in government. Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady (2012) Documentary For teachers and students. Documentary of Thatcher’s career with contributions by leading newsmen and politicians. Paper 2, Option 2H.1: The USA, c1920–55: boom, bust and recovery

Overview

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, steam power and new technology had made Britain the workshop of the world: electrical power and the assembly line did the same for American industry in the early twentieth century. An age of mass production was ushered in, most typically seen in Detroit, where Henry Ford’s automobiles were the force driving industrial production. A devastated Europe had to redevelop its industrial base, but the USA filled the gap and dominated world trade in the 1920s. This economic boom was built on shaky foundations, especially in the banking system, and the collapse of several banks, along with the Wall Street Crash of 1929, led America into a major depression. Despite Roosevelt’s best efforts through his New Deal, features of the depression lasted throughout the 1930s and were only effectively ended with America’s entry into the Second World War in 1941. The USA’s mainland was not affected by the war, and, just as in the 1920s, the post-war years saw sustained economic growth. A massive highway construction programme led to the growth of the suburbs and the Levittown projects, and to a consumer society centred on the automobile, television and the shopping mall. After the civil war of 1861–65 the rights of black Americans were enshrined in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, but these were hedged round with so many qualifications, that America developed into a bitterly segregated society. The 1920s saw the racist Ku Klux Klan at the height of its influence and power, and discrimination against all minorities was a feature of this whole period. Black Americans were excluded from the benefits of the boom, though their economic position improved somewhat under the New Deal. In the decade after 1945 there was slow but discernible change for black Americans, thanks to the legal work of the NAACP and the political contribution made by President

Topic 2: Depression and New Deal, 1929– The topic covers the years from the beginning of the depression to the end of Roosevelt’s New Deal in 1940. Students need to understand the effects of the depression on different people, including those who benefited from it. In considering ‘gangsterism’, students need to be aware of the increased notoriety of criminal activity such as bank robberies, and the extent to which the growth of organised crime was linked to the depression. Students should be aware of the range of policies adopted to deal with the country’s financial and economic difficulties. They should understand the extent to which Hoover broke with laissez-faire. Detailed knowledge of the activities of each of the alphabet agencies is not required; they should be taken as sets of measures aimed at tackling different aspects of the depression. Topic 3: Impact of the New Deal and the Second World War on the USA to 1945 The topic covers the effects of the New Deal and of the Second World War on US society. Students should understand the extent to which both the New Deal and US involvement in the war helped to revive the economy. Students should understand the links between the changing economic status of women and young people and cultural changes which took place during the war. Topic 4: The transformation of the USA, 1945– The topic addresses some of the dramatic changes which took place in the economy, society and culture of the USA in the decade after 1945. Students will understand the reasons for, and the effects of, the migration of people from countryside to town, and especially to the suburbs. Students will understand the growing cultural diversity in the USA, notably the reasons for, and the nature of, the development of a separate teenage culture. They should note the increasing power of television in the early 1950s and the extent to which it reflected changes in society and culture.

Mapping to 2008 specification

There is overlap between this topic and the following topic from the 2008 specification: Unit 3, Option C, Topic C2: The United States, 1917–54: Boom, Bust and Recovery.

Mapping to 2008 specification

Boom and crash, 1920– The economic boom of the 1920s: mass production; technological advances and their impact on leisure; the automobile; hire purchase; laissez faire; farmers, black Americans and limits to the boom. Bullet point 1: The economy of the United States in the 1920s. Centres will have covered the reasons for the prosperity of the 1920s, including the way in which government policies helped create and perpetuate this ‘boom’, tax reductions and Coolidge’s general policy of ‘laissez faire’. Causes of the crash of 1929: the Wall Street Crash; overproduction; land speculation; the bull market; weaknesses of the banking system. Associated controversy 1: Why did the United States suffer such a serious depression in the years 1929–33? Centres will have covered the nature of the depression in the years 1929–33, both long and short term causes of this and why it lasted so long. They will have studied structural imbalances within the USA, the weaknesses in the US banking system and the lack of financial regulation by the federal government and the problems of international trade. Changes in society; immigration and the ‘Red Scare’; the Ku Klux Klan; prohibition and organised crime; the changing role of women. Bullet point 2: Political and social tensions, 1917–33. Centres will have covered the activities of the Ku Klux Klan; prohibition and organised crime; federal immigration policy and the Red Scare; racial tensions and the women’s suffrage issue. Cultural change in the 1920s: the Jazz Age; the Harlem Renaissance; growing popularity of baseball; radio and the cinema; American literature. New content, although centres may well have used examples to illustrate the Jazz Age, eg The Great Gatsby and examples from the Harlem Renaissance to explore the position of African Americans in the 1920s.

The Second New Deal, 1935–38: the Wagner Act 1935; the Social Security Act 1935; the Revenue Act 1935; opposition to the Second New Deal. Associated controversy 2: How successful was the impact of the New Deal to 1941? Centres are likely to have covered the measures implemented by Roosevelt in the Second New Deal. Bullet point 3: Opposition to Roosevelt as president, 1933–45. Centres will have covered Supreme Court opposition and Roosevelt’s ‘court packing’ bill. Impact of the New Deal and the Second World War on the USA to 1945 The New Deal and the economy: the impact of New Deal policies on unemployment and national infrastructure; women and the New Deal, including the role of Eleanor Roosevelt; the state of the US economy in 1940. Associated controversy 2: How successful was the impact of the New Deal to 1941? Centres are likely to have covered the impact of the New Deal on the economy as a whole and on different social groups. They are likely to have assessed the state of the US economy by 1940. The impact of the New Deal and the war on ethnic minorities: New Deal policies and black Americans; the Indian Reorganisation Act 1934; change for Hispanic Americans; the contribution of ethnic minorities to the war effort; the race riots of 1943; the Double V campaign. Associated controversy 2: How successful was the impact of the New Deal to 1941? Centre may have considered the impact of the New Deal on the ethnic monitories. Social and cultural changes: WPA support for writers and musicians; changes in the role of women, including impact of the Fair Employment Practices Commission on the status of women and black Americans; wartime domestic propaganda; the power of Hollywood, including war films and the rise of Disney; the growing power of radio; popular music. Related to the second controversy but for most centres this is likely to be new content.

The war and the economy, 1941–45: the collapse of unemployment; women and the war effort; the contribution of young people; growing power of trade unions; migration to urban and industrial centres; the growth of new industries. Bullet point 4: The USA, 1941–54: the impact of war. Centres are likely to have covered the growth of federal intervention in the economy in the period 1941–45. They will have considered the economic benefits of the war for US society and are likely to have looked at its impact on the role of women, on trades unions and urbanisation.