USA Revision Booklet
The USA topic is part of Paper 1 (along with China). This is the Paper that requires you to
learn the most. It is impossible to get good marks on this paper without doing a lot of
revision! Below are some tips for doing well on this paper.
You have a choice of 2 questions and each question is split into section A and section B.
Section A
There are 4 questions here, all worth relatively low marks, which include;
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
A brief 3 mark question – usually causation (e.g. “Give one reason why fear of
communism grew in the USA”) or a definition (e.g. “What does the term ‘Freedom
Riders’ mean?”)
A 5 mark question – usually on key features (e.g. “Describe the key features of
the Long March”), causation (e.g. “Why did the CCP win power in 1949?”) or
consequences (e.g. “Why was the case of Brown vs Topeka s o important?”).
Another 5 mark question – as the previous question.
A 7 mark question – again, could be key features, causation or consequences.
Section B
There are 2 essay-type questions here, on change, causation or key features. See the
advice below for how to answer them.
(i)
(ii)
Worth 10 marks.
Worth 15 marks. You will also get a four-point plan to help you.
Advice on section A
1. The first question – brief causation or definition
e.g. “Define ‘segregation’” (3)
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This is only worth 3 marks, so keep it brief – no more than 4 minutes.
One paragraph is enough.
Give the reason/definition and explain it clearly.
2. Brief Causation / Consequences Questions
e.g. “Why did the women’s movement develop in the USA in the 1960s and 1970s?” (5)
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These can be worth 5 or 7 marks
Spend 6-7 minutes on the 5 mark questions and 9-10 minutes on the 7 mark
questions. No more!
Write about 3 causes/consequences.
Begin each paragraph with the cause/consequence and then explain it.
For top marks, try to link the causes/consequences.
3. Brief Key Features questions
e.g. “Describe the key features of the 100 flowers campaign” (7)
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These can be worth 5 or 7 marks. Don’t spend more than 7 minutes on a 5 mark
question or 10 minutes on a 7 mark question.
‘Key features’ means the most important aspects of the questions. Don’t try to
write about everything!
Aim to write about 2-3 key features for a 5 mark question and 3-4 for a 7 mark
question.
Begin your paragraph with a key feature and explain it with details/examples.
Remember, it is more important to explain a few key features properly than just
listing lots of features.
For top marks, try to link together your key features.
Advice for Section B
This section is worth more than half of the total marks, so make sure you leave plenty of
time for it! Spend 13-14 minutes on 10 mark questions and 20 minutes on 15 mark
questions.
There are usually 3 types of questions you can get asked.
1. Causation questions.
e.g. “Why did the Black Power movement develop after 1965?” (10)
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Begin your answer with a very brief introduction (e.g. “After 1965, the ideas of
Martin Luther King began to lose some support and the ideas of Black Power
became much more important within the Civil Rights Movement”)
You will need to explain at least 3 reasons.
Start each paragraph with a reason and explain it fully.
Try to make links between the reasons.
End with a brief conclusion, summarising the most important reasons.
2. Key features questions.
e.g. “Describe the key features of the Cultural Revolution.
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Remember, ‘key features’ means the most important things, so don’t try to include
everything or spend long on bits that aren’t as important.
Begin with a brief introduction (e.g. “The Cultural Revolution was launched by Mao
in 1966 to try to enable him to regain power he had lost after the Great Leap
Forward”).
Aim to include at least 3 features
Start each paragraph with a key feature and explain it fully, with detail/examples.
Make links between each feature – vital for top marks.
Have a brief conclusion, summarising the most important features.
3. Change questions
e.g. “In what ways did the methods used by civil rights campaigners in the USA change
during the 1950s and 1960s? (10)
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Begin with a brief introduction (e.g. “The Civil Rights Campaign started slowly, with
an emphasis on raising awareness and legal campaigns, before leading to large,
peaceful protests. However, from the mid-1960s, the ideas of Black Power became
more important.”)
Aim to include at least 3 changes.
Begin each paragraph with a change and then explain it with examples/details.
Try to link each paragraph together.
End with a brief conclusion, where you summarise the most important changes.
4. And finally… the question with a plan
e.g. Why did fear of communism develop in the USA in the years 1945-54? You may use
the following information to help you. (15)
Events in Europe after 1954
Alger Hiss
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
Joseph McCarthy
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Start with a brief introduction.
Use the plan! Explain each of the 4 points mentioned in the question. It could be a
question about causation, change or key features.
Have one paragraph on each of the 4 points.
Then try to add at least one extra paragraph of your own.
Try to link the paragraphs together for top marks – show how each point relates to
each other.
Have a brief conclusion, where you summarise the key factors.
Topic 1: The USA and
World War II
How did the Second World War affect black people in
America?
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Before the war America was extremely segregated. In the army, there were no
black pilots or officers, soldiers served in segregated (separate black and white)
units, black people could not serve in the Navy (only as workers in the kitchens).
During the war, there were some changes for example; there were 600 black pilots
and black people now served in the army, navy and airforce. However, soldiers still
fought in segregated units.
There were some changes in employment opportunities for black people at home,
after President Roosevelt had banned discrimination in industrial and government
jobs. Many black people moved to the north in order to find work and take
advantage of these opportunities – by 1944 2 million worked in northern factories.
The creation of job opportunities both within the military and at home led many
black people to see this as the beginning of the push for equal rights.
The Double V campaign (victory abroad and equal civil rights at home) raised
awareness about the need to fight for equality at home. Membership of the
NAACP rose from 50,000 to 450,000 – a clear demonstration that these small
changes during World War II had given many black Americans hope and made them
want to push for more.
However, this was not the end of segregation. The southern states remained
segregated.
How did the Second World War affect women in America?
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Before the war women formed 27% of the workforce. Most women worked in the
home as full time (unpaid) housewives.
During the war women formed 33% of the workforce. As men had to go and fight in
the war women were needed to take over their jobs. They worked in shipyards,
aircraft and armament as well as other jobs too. They were often paid less than
men for doing the same job.
After the war many women returned to their previous role as housewife so that
men could return to their old jobs. After the war women made up 29% of the
workforce.
As a result of the changes during the war, some women began to push for changes.
Women had proved that they could do the same jobs as men and their confidence
and independence had increased.
However, even though the foundations for change had been laid, women continued
to be paid less than men and most women willingly went back to their previous
roles. It was not until 30 years later that sexual discrimination in the workplace
was directly tackled.
How did the Second World War affect Japanese
Americans?
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After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour many Americans were very angry
with and suspicious of Japanese Americans. It was feared that their loyalty would
be to Japan, not America and that they would act as spies for the Japanese.
Many Japanese Americans were taken to internment camps in remote and isolated
parts of America. They lost their homes and businesses (up to $400million worth
of property). More than 1000 were shipped to Japan.
In spite of this, many Japanese Americans tried to show their loyalty to America –
by raising the flag and singing the national anthem.
Many Japanese Americans actually fought for America in their armed forces.
A long time after the war ended, in 1988, the government gave a formal apology
for the way they had been treated. The 60,000 Japanese Americans still who
experienced these measures were awarded some financial compensation.
How did the War affect the US Economy?
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Big businesses made a lot of money during WW2 – especially heavy industries like
coal, iron, steel and oil. This was because they were given huge government
contracts for wartime work.
Before the war, America was still suffering from the Depression. But
unemployment went down from 9.5million in 1939 to just 670,000 by 1944. This was
because millions of people got jobs in the armed forces or factories making
equipment for the war.
Farmers also benefited as food was sold to countries like Britain who needed it
during the war.
The government played a bigger role in the economy during the war than it ever
had done before – for example in running factories and employing people. Most
Americans were happy to accept this increased role even after the war ended.
Now you should be able to answer these exam questions
In what ways did the Second World War affect the status and employment of
black Americans in the years to 1945? (5)
Why was the Second World War important in the development of the Civil
Rights movement in the USA? (5)
Give ONE reason to explain why many Japanese-Americans were placed in relocation
camps after 1941. (3)
What was the impact of the Second World War on the employment and status of
women in the USA in the years to 1945? (5)
What was the effect of the Second World War on the US economy? (5)
Topic 2: The Red Scare
and McCarthyism
Why were Americans afraid of communism between
1945-55?
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Many people in America were against communism because they felt it went against
the ideas of the American Dream. If it spread to the USA people felt it would
threaten their way of life.
Between 1945 and 1955 events outside of the USA led people to think that
communism was spreading very quickly:
o 1948 Czechoslovakia became Communist under the influence of the Soviet
Union.
o The Berlin Blockade of 1948 – 49. The Russians cut off access to West
Berlin, showing that Stalin was prepared to risk war with the Americans
o Russia developed their first atom bomb in 1949, putting them on a more
level footing with the USA.
o China became communist in 1949.
In addition, events inside the USA made people worry that communism was
spreading:
o The House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) investigated the film
industry, education and the government to find out if there were any
communists.
o 1947: HUAC investigated the film industry to see if films were being used to
put over a communist message. Ten writers and directors were sacked and sent
to prison for 1 year. They became known as ‘The Hollywood Ten’.
o 1950: The Alger Hiss Trial – Alger Hiss was a government official charged with
being a communist. He was sent to prison for 5 years.
o 1950-53: The Rosenbergs – accused of giving atomic secrets to the Soviet
Union. Eventually executed in 1953.
These factors contributed to the growing fear inside America. This period of fear is
known as ‘The Red Scare’. Slogans such as ‘Better dead than Red’ sum up how people felt
about communism and help to explain how people such as Joe McCarthy were able to
pursue their communist ‘witch hunts’.
Who was Senator Joe McCarthy and how was involved in
the Red Scare?
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Joseph McCarthy was a very ambitious politician. He was Chairman of HUAC and
had a lot of power and influence in Washington.
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McCarthy claimed he had a list of people who were communists, including 205
people who worked in the government.
McCarthy appeared on radio and TV – he was an extremely strong and convincing
speaker. Even though he had very little evidence, he was able to play on the fear
within America to convince people that he was telling the truth. He claimed that
people who didn’t believe him were being ‘soft’ on communism.
Many ordinary people believed McCarthy and saw him as a crusader against
communism. Politicians often didn’t like him but were too afraid to speak out
against him as they were scared of being labeled as communists themselves.
Why did McCarthy lose support?
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By the end of 1954 McCarthy had lost much of his support
McCarthy didn’t actually have any hard evidence to support his claims.
He was shown on TV to be a bully and a liar.
He went too far in his accusations. He began accusing his own party members and,
critically, he accused army officers of being spies. No-one believed this.
What were the effects of McCarthyism?
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Many people lost their jobs. Just being accused of being a communist was enough
in many cases to be entirely discredited.
400 people were sent to prison
Many people with left wing or liberal views were labeled as being “un-American”.
America’s reputation as being ‘the land of the free’ was severely damaged.
Now you should be able to answer these exam questions
 Why did a fear of communism develop in the USA in the years
1945 to 1950? (5) (n.b. date – does not include McCarthy!)
 In what ways did Senator Joseph McCarthy try to win the support of US
citizens during the early 1950s? (5)
 Why had Senator Joseph McCarthy lost the support of most US citizens by
the end of 1954? (5)
 In what ways did fear of communism develop in the USA in the years 1945-54?
You may use the following information to help you with your answer. (15)
*Events in Europe after 1945
*The Hollywood Ten
*The trials of Alger Hiss and the Rosenbergs
*McCarthyism
Topic 3: The Civil Rights
Movement
What were the key features of the Brown vs Topeka
case?
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Linda Brown wanted to attend her local school but was not allowed to because it
was a whites only school.
Oliver Brown and the NAACP took the case to the Supreme Court, helped by the
black lawyer, Thurgood Marshall.
In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was illegal and that
all schools should be integrated.
This was very important in the development of the Civil Rights Movement because
it showed that the Supreme Court could be used to help black people gain equal
rights.
However, for a long time, many of the southern states simply ignored the ruling
and schools remained segregated.
What were the key features of the events at Little Rock High
School?
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This was the first real test of the Brown vs Topeka ruling.
Nine black students tried to attend their local all white school (including Elizabeth
Eckford).
Orval Faubus (the State Governor) stopped them by surrounding the school with
state troops.
Faubus was forced to remove the troops, but they were replaced by a violent mob
of about 1000 white people.
President Eisenhower sent in federal troops to protect the students.
Governor Faubus was so against integration that he closed down all the schools in
Little Rock (1958).
However, one year later, the Supreme Court ordered him to re-open them and the
federal troops stayed with the students to protect them.
Little rock was important to the Civil Rights Movement for a number of reasons;
o It showed that the President was willing to get involved and support black
Americans.
o There was world wide publicity for the Civil Rights Campaign and a lot of
sympathy for the black students
o The Supreme Court got involved again and forced Faubus to re-open schools.
Why was the Montgomery Bus Boycott important?
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1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man.
Martin Luther King organised a boycott of buses that lasted for 13 months until
the bus company gave in.
In 1956 the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was illegal.
The boycott was important because;
o It showed that black Americans were able to organise themselves.
o It gained a great deal of positive publicity and showed that peaceful
protests could work.
o It inspired people and led other people to think that more things could be
changed using these methods.
o It saw the emergence of Martin Luther King as the most important leader
of the Civil Rights Movement.
Why was Martin Luther King so important?
 Martin Luther King believed strongly in peaceful protest.
 He used methods such as giving speeches, marches and sit-ins in order to try and
change things for Black Americans.
 He was also very good at dealing with politicians and so was able to successfully
raise awareness of the Civil Rights Movement within Congress.
 Because he insisted on remaining peaceful, he was better able to persuade
Presidents and Congress to go along with him.
Other Civil Rights Protests and Protesters
• Sit ins e.g. Greensboro North Carolina, 1960 – black students ‘sat in’ whites
only cafes. The violence often used against these peaceful protestors was seen on
television and helped to increase support for Civil Rights.
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Freedom Riders, 1960s – made journeys on interstate buses to draw attention to
the fact that the southern states were ignoring the laws that said interstate
buses and bus stations should no longer be segregated. They faced violence and
some were arrested. One bus was even bombed. Once again, they gained a lot of
publicity.
• Birmingham Alabama 1963 – Birmingham decided to close all of its parks,
playgrounds, swimming pools and golf courses in order to avoid de-segregating
them. Many peaceful protests, such as sit-ins, were staged against these measures.
The peaceful protesters – including children - were attacked by police dogs and
fire hoses. They were sent by the police chief, Bull Connor. The protest was
significant because the President (Kennedy) was forced to get involved. It also led
to the creation of a Civil Rights Bill.
• The March on Washington, August 1963 – More than 250,000 people, including
60,000 whites marched to demand civil rights for all. They heard Martin Luther
King’s famous “I have a dream” speech.
Now you should be able to answer these exam questions
 Why were black US citizens able to secure improved civil rights in the
years 1945-63? You may use the following information to help you with
your answer. (15)
*Impact of the Second World War
*Montgomery Bus Boycott
*Events at Little Rock High School
*Role of Martin Luther King
 Explain what is meant by ‘freedom riders’. (3)
 Why was the Brown v Topeka case important in the development of civil rights for
black Americans? (5)
 Describe the key features of the campaign for civil rights at Little Rock High School
in 1957. (7)
 Why were the events at Little Rock High School (1957) important for the development
of the civil rights movement? (7)
 Why was the Montgomery Bus Boycott important in the improvement of civil rights for
black Americans? (5)
 Describe the key features of the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955). (5)
 Describe the key features of the methods used by Martin Luther King to secure
improved civil rights in the USA in the 1960s. (5)
Topic 4: Black Power and the
changes in the Civil Rights
Movement, 1965-1968
The Civil Rights Movement of Martin Luther King had achieved some great things by 1965
(especially the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act). However, after this,
things started to go wrong;
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There were riots in many cities, e.g. Watts, Los Angeles in 1965; 34 people died.
In 1967, there were riots in 150 cities. Tension between blacks and white policemen
was especially bad.
The Kerner report (a report for President Johnson) said that the main reason for
these riots was the frustration of young black people.
When Martin Luther King tried to take his campaigns to the north, in Chicago in 1966,
he failed. He was no longer as influential has he had been. Instead, the ideas of ‘black
power’ became more important.
What do we mean by Black Power?
The slogan Black Power became popular from 1966 onwards. It is a phrase that came to
mean different things to different people, but they key ideas were;
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Blacks should take more responsibility, power and control in their own communities
(e.g. set up their own businesses). They should not rely on white to give them rights,
but take control themselves.
A rejection of the non-violent tactics of the main Civil Rights Movement.
More focus on social and economic issues (e.g. poverty) rather than political issues
(e.g. Jim Crow laws)
Blacks should study their own history and culture and that they should feel proud of
being black. Slogans Like "black is beautiful" formed a part of this.
Some people believed in separatism – the idea that blacks should set up their own
state without any white people. (n.b. this is very different to segregation!)
Why did the Black Power movement develop in the 1960's?
By the mid-1960s, the ideas of Black Power became more important. This was because;
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Many blacks felt that the pace of change was too slow. Young blacks in particular
felt were frustrated that things were not changing fast enough.
Even though Martin Luther King’s campaigns had achieved some great things, most
blacks still faced poverty, discrimination and racism as part of their everyday lives.
Many in the north saw King as irrelevant – he had focussed on ending segregation,
but there had never been any segregation in the northern states. The issues there
were different – e.g. poverty in the slums of the major cities.
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Many grew frustrated with the non-violent campaigns. They felt it was humiliating
black people and was not bringing enough change fast enough.
Who was involved in Black Power?
There were several different radical black groups and lots of different people that
followed the ideas of Black Power – do not make the mistake of thinking there was one
group with one leader! The most important people and groups were;
 The Nation of Islam - a group of black Muslims.. They wanted a more militant
approach and a totally separate state for blacks in the USA. Eventually blacks would
return to Africa. Their leader was Elijah Muhammad.
 Another very important person in the Nation of Islam was Malcolm X. He was a
brilliant speaker who attracted a lot of publicity. He did a lot to encourage blacks to
take responsibility for themselves and to be proud of being black. At first, he
wanted nothing to do with white people but, after going on Hajj, he changed his
views and then accepted that whites could play a useful role in helping blacks to
achieve civil rights.
 The Black Panthers had the most violent reputation. Huey Newton and Bobby
Searle set it up in 1966. The Panthers never had more than around 5 000 members
but they attracted a huge amount of publicity. This was because of they way they
looked, their ideas and their use of violence. They wore black berets, black leather
jackets, sunglasses, etc.; they carried guns. They used armed patrols to protect
black people from police brutality.
 Stokely Carmichael – probably the first person to use the phrase ‘Black Power’ and
leader of the SNCC, which started off as a non-violent group, but later became
more radical.
In what ways did Martin Luther King's campaign change by the late
1960s?
After the great successes of 1964 and 1965, King began to change his focus;
 He began to concentrate on trying to improve living conditions, wages and jobs for
the poor, focusing more on the northern cities than before.
 He opposed the Vietnam War because it cost so much money - money he thought
could be spent on black people. This lost him the support of some people.
 However, people in the north thought Martin Luther King (a southerner) did not
understand their problems and were reluctant to follow him.
 This focus on social and economic issues was also more difficult to solve – mainly
because they would cost so much money to solve.
 As a result of all this, Martin Luther King became far less influential after 1965.
Now you should be able to answer these exam questions
 Describe the key features of the Black Power movement. (5)
 Why was there increased racial tension in the USA in the years 1964-70?
(10)
 Why did the Black Power movement develop in the USA in the 1960s? (7)
 In what ways did the Civil Rights movement develop in the years 1963-68? (7)
 Why did some black US citizens oppose the work and methods of Martin Luther King?
(7)
 In what ways did the methods used by civil rights campaigners in the USA change
during the 1950s and 1960s? (15)
Topic 5: Achievements of
the Civil Rights Movement
What did the Civil Rights Movement achieve for black Americans?
The Civil Rights movement had some major successes. For example;
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The end of segregation in public places.
Many more schools are now fully integrated.
Far more blacks now vote in elections.
The first black mayor (Carl Stokes in Cleveland, 1968) was elected.
Many black authors and actors have become very successful.
However;
 At least three quarters of the black population are still worse off than whites and
rates of unemployment are higher for blacks than whites
 Blacks still tend to have lower educational standards
 Ghettos remain in many cities
 Although the outward signs of discrimination have been swept away, America is still
a deeply divided society with racial problems.
Now you should be able to answer these exam questions
 Describe the key features of the improvements in civil rights in the years
1963 to 1968. (7)
 In what ways was the civil rights movement successful in achieving its aims
for black US citizens in the years 1963-68? (5)
Topic 6: The New
Frontier
What was the New Frontier?
In 1960 John F. Kennedy became the Democratic Party candidate for President. He said
that he had a personal vision "to get the country moving again". He wanted to;
 Improve the US economy and have better education and housing – especially for
poorer people.
 Help black Americans – tackle prejudice
 Make the USA more important in the world.
Basically Kennedy wanted to make the USA a better and fairer place for all Americans. This
plan became known as the "New Frontier".
What were the successes of the New Frontier?
On the one hand, Kennedy had some successes in improving the economy and helping tackle
poverty. For example, he;
 Introduced a general tax cut designed to put money in people's pockets and
encourage a boom in spending.
 Increased the number of jobs in the defence industry and the space programme.
 Increased the minimum wage from $1 to $1.25.
 Passed the Housing Act that provided cheap loans for the redevelopment of inner
cities.
 Passed the Manpower Redevelopment Act (1961), which concentrated on retraining
redundant workers. A $9 million goverment programme was set up to provide jobs
for the retrained workers.
Kennedy also helped black Americans in some ways. For example;
 JFK began to appoint black Americans to important positions.
 People who tried to stop black people from voting were prosecuted.
 In 1962 JFK sent the National Guard and federal troops into Mississippi to
make sure that a black student, James Meredith could take his place at a
university.
 JFK introduced a Civil Rights Bill to Congress (later passed by Johnson).
In foreign policy, JFK also created the "Peace Corps". This was an organisation that sent
young American volunteers to less developed countries to work as doctors, teachers,
technical experts and so on.
What were the failures of the New Frontier?
However, Kennedy was not as successful as he would have liked;
 One key policy was Medicare — free medical treatment for the old. This was
REJECTED by Congress (but passed after JFK's assassination). He could not
persuade enough people in Congress to support him.
 There were still nearly 4 million people unemployed when Kennedy died.
Also, although Kennedy promised a lot, in actual fact he did not manage to do much for
black Americans.
 He was not able to persuade enough people in Congress to support his Civil Rights
Bill and could not get it passed.
 Overall, the New Frontier was a disappointment.
Why was the New Frontier Policy not more successful?
Despite all the hope at the beginning of his Presidency, JFK did not manage to achieve as
much as he would have liked during his time as President. The reasons for this were;
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Kennedy was a young, inexperienced politician, who found it difficult to persuade
people in Congress to support him.
Many people in Congress thought that some of the New Frontier policies
(especially those linked to helping poorer people) were too associated with
socialist (communist) ideas. Instead, they believed in the ideas of "rugged
individualism" — that Americans should stand on their own two feet and should
not rely on the government for handouts.
Some historians accuse JFK of being too focused on foreign affairs (1962 was the
year of the Cuban Missile Crisis) and that he didn't devote enough time and energy
to winning support for the New Frontier.
Lots of Democrats from the Southern States refused to support the JFKs ideas to
do with Civil Rights. These people became known as Dixiecrats and were a big
reason why Kennedy could not do more for black Americans.
To pay for all the measures in the New Frontier a rise in taxes would have been
necessary; many in Congress were reluctant to vote for this.
Now you should be able to answer these exam questions
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What is meant by the term ‘New Frontier’? (3)
Give ONE reason to explain why President Kennedy introduced his ‘New Frontier’
policy. (3)
Describe the key features of the ‘New Frontier’ policy. (5)
In what ways did President Kennedy try to improve civil rights for black citizens in the United
States? (5)
Why did President Kennedy face problems in his attempts to carry out his ‘New Frontier’
policy? (5)
Why did many people oppose President Kennedy’s ‘New Frontier’ policy? (5)
Topic 7: The Great
Society
What is meant by the term "the Great Society"?
This was the programme of Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) who became President after
Kennedy in November 1963. It was very similar to JFK’s ‘New Frontier’ because it also
aimed to;
 End racial discrimination
 Reduce poverty and bring about a fairer society.
Make sure you don’t confuse the New Frontier and the Great Society!
Why did Johnson introduce the Great Society?
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Like his fellow Democrat Kennedy, believed that it was the duty of the
government to provide help for the poor. Like JFK, Johnson wanted to make the
USA a better and fairer place for everyone.
Johnson wanted to continue the work that had been begun by JFK's New
Frontier. Many of JFK's ideas had been rejected in his lifetime and Johnson was
hoping to take advantage of the huge wave of grief and sympathy to extend the
ideas of the New Frontier even further.
What were the key features of the Great Society policy?
To tackle poverty, Johnson did several things. For example;
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Economic Opportunity Act (1964) authorised $ 1 billion for a "war on poverty".
Set up schemes to help poor people in inner cities. This was in the form of
education, loans and community projects.
Development Act (1964) provided money to replace inner city slums with new
homes.
Medicare and Medicaid (1965) - provided medical insurance for the over 65's and
hospital care for the poor.
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965) — $1 billion given to state
schools for textbooks and special education programmes.
To tackle prejudice, Johnson did several things. For example;
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In 1964 Johnson managed to pass the Civil Rights Act. It stated that;
o Segregation in all public places was now illegal and the federal government
could enforce this.
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o All Americans were entitled to equal job opportunities.
o All federal projects had to include racial integration.
The 1965 Voting Rights Act made it illegal to try to prevent blacks from
registering to vote by setting literacy tests for voters. This led to 100s of 1000s
of blacks registering to vote.
These were two vitally important acts for black Americans and, in many ways,
were the high point of the whole civil rights movement.
How successful was the Great Society?
Johnson was much more successful than Kennedy because;
 He was a more experienced politician than Kennedy and knew how to persuade
people in Congress to vote for his policies.
 He was from the South, so he understood the Dixiecrats and how to persuade
them to support civil rights legislation.
 He could use the sympathy that people felt for Kennedy after his death to
persuade people to support Kennedy’s ideas (like the Civil Rights Bill)
However, Johnson still faced many problems in getting support for his Great Society.
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The Vietnam War drained away a huge amount of money from the Great Society.
By 1968 the war was costing $30 billion dollars a year.
The Vietnam War also lost Johnson a lot of support. By the late 1960s,
everywhere he went people were chanting ‘Hey, hey, LBJ! How many kids did you kill
today?’
Republicans in Congress voted against many of the reforms, saying that they
went against the rights of states to decide on their own policies.
Many Republicans also saw the reforms as socialist (like they did for Kennedy’s
New Frontier) and did not believe helping poorer people as much as Johnson wanted
to.
Now you should be able to answer these exam questions
Why did President Johnson wish to create a ‘Great Society’ in the USA after
1963? (5)
Describe the key features of President Johnson’s ‘Great Society’. You may
use the following information to help you with your answer. (15)
*Civil Rights
*Economic Opportunities
*Medical Care
*Education
What problems did President Johnson face in his attempts to build a ‘Great Society’ in
the years 1963 to 1968? (7)
What successes and failures did President Johnson have in establishing his ‘Great
Society’ in the years 1963-68? (10)
In what ways did President Johnson improve civil rights in the years 1963-68? (7)
Topic 8: The Student
Movement
During the 1960s and 1970s, there were a whole range of protest movements in the USA,
including the civil rights campaigners, women and students. It is important to remember
that these movements overlapped – many people belonged to all of them. This section
concentrates on the student movement.
What was the 1950s background?
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New pop and film heroes like Elvis Presley and James Dean promoted a rebellious
attitude. Many parents were shocked by these role models for teenagers.
Beatnik poets like Allen Ginsberg protested against what they saw as the smug life
of middle class Americans. He suggested dropping out, taking drugs, etc.
There was a generation gap. Older people — parents/teachers/politicians —
remembered the hardships of the Depression and WW2. Teenagers had been
brought up in the prosperous 1950's. Many students turned against their parents'
comfortable lifestyles — they thought they were boring and too keen on money.
Sex, drugs and rock and roll — this shocked the older generation.
Why was there a student protest movement in the 1960s?
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The attitude of the 1950s carried over into the 1960s – often described as the
‘swinging sixties’. Young people wanted more freedom in everything they did – the
music they listened to, the clothes they wore, the social life they led. In 1968,
"Flower Power" and the slogan "Make love, not war" became very popular.
The contraceptive pill allowed women more freedom over their sexual behavior and
let them choose when to have children.
Recreational drugs (like cannabis and LSD) became more widely available.
Singers like Bob Dylan became very popular, writing songs protesting against war
and racism.
More and more better off young people went to college and had time for protests.
Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights campaigns showed students how to protest;
it was often students who took part in demonstrations, sit-ins, freedom rides etc.
The Vietnam War angered lots of young people in America. They did not believe
the war was a just war and had seen pictures in the media of American atrocities
towards the Vietnamese people. It was also young people who were being drafted
(conscripted) to fight in the war and they did not want to go.
How did the Students Protest?
It is important to remember that the student movement was a broad-ranging movement
and not all students thought and did the same things. Some of the people and ideas that
were involved were;
 The Students for a Democractic Society (SDS) was set up by Tom Hayden to
give students a greater say in the ways universities were run. They also wanted to
help poorer people and protested against the Vietnam War.
 Lots of students joined the civil rights campaigns.
 Anti-Vietnam War protests. These were probably the biggest and most important
protests organized by students. For example, in 1969, 700,000 marched in
Washington against the war. They burned draft cards (the cards sent to people
ordering them to report to fight in the war) or, sometimes, the American flag.
 Often, there were clashes with the police. The worst of these took place at Kent
State University in 1970, when 4 students were shot dead by police in a peaceful
protest. Americans were horrified and 2 million students went on strike in protest.
 Some (a few) students became more radical in the late 1960s and began to use
violence. A group called the ‘Weathermen’ (who took their name from a Bob Dylan
song) bombed army recruitment centres and government buildings.
 Others joined the ‘Hippy’ movement and decided to ‘drop out’ of society all
together. They grew their hair long, wore distinctive clothes, travelled round the
country in buses and vans, wearing flowers in their hair as a symbol of peace. Their
slogan was ‘Make love, not war’. They refused to work and many took drugs, which
frightened older people.
Why was the Student Movement important?
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Probably the longest-lasting achievement of the student movement were the
changes in youth culture. Teenagers became more aware of their individuality. For
example, they became more fashion conscious and moved away from the older
generation. The clearest example of this was the mini-skirt.
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The student protests helped to change government policy on Vietnam and made a
withdrawal from Vietnam more likely.
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They provided lots of publicity for the racism in America and lots of white
students made the civil rights movement stronger.
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They shocked the older generation – this was virtually the first time that younger
people (especially middle class people) had opposed the government and their
parents.
Now you should be able to answer these exam questions
Describe the key features of the student movement of the 1960s and
1970s. (5)
Why did protest movements develop in the USA in the 1960s and early
1970s? (10)
Why were student protests important in the USA in the 1960s and early 1970s? (10)
Topic 9: The Women's
Movement
Why was there a women's movement in the 1960s and 70s?
 World War 2 gave women new roles and new opportunities: they wanted more of
this.
 The contraceptive pill became available in the 1960s, giving women much more
freedom in their lives.
 Many women began to react against 1950s ideas of women as wives and mothers.
Many were influenced by the ‘swinging sixties’.
 By now, women were better educated and wanted to use this education to pursue a
career. They did not all want to devote their whole lives to their husband and
family.
 Betty Friedan's book "The Feminine Mystique" was published in 1963; it said that
married women should be able to have careers as well and that husbands and wives
should have an equal partnership. This inspired many women.
 The National Organisation of Women (NOW) was started in 1966 by Betty
Friedan.
How did women protest?
As with the student movement, not all women thought and did the same thing, so be
careful to make this clear in the exam.
 Most women within the women’s movement wanted;
• equal pay with men
• opportunities to get top jobs
• child care for working parents
• action against male sexism.
 They went on marches, organised petitions, appeals to the Supreme Court,
demonstrations, etc.
 Other women were even more radical and even believed that not wearing make-up
was an act of protest against male supremacy. These women – often known as
feminists – burned their bras because they saw them as a symbol of male
domination. However, these women often did more harm than good because they
caused a distraction from the key issues of equal pay and job opportunities.
 Some women wanted to make abortion legal – they believed women should have the
right to choose whether or not to have a baby.
You should also remember that some women actually opposed the women’s movement.
They believed in the traditional role of women. The most influential of these was
called Phyllis Schafly.
What did women achieve?
The women’s movement was important and achieved a number of things. For example;
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The Equal Pay Act (1963) said that men and women should have the same pay for
the same job.
The Civil Rights Act (1964) banned discrimination on the basis of gender.
NOW won lots of court cases in the late 1960s, which gave money back to women
who had not been paid equally to men.
The Education Amendment Act (1972) said that girls could follow exactly the same
curriculum in schools and boys.
In the famous case of Roe vs Wade (1973), the Supreme Court ruled that abortion
was legal.
However sexist attitudes to women did not disappear and progress was often slow.
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Now you should be able to answer these exam questions
Why did the women’s movement become important in the USA in the 1960s
and early 1970s? (7)
Describe the key features of the women’s movement in the USA during the
1960s and early 1970s. (7)
Why did protest movements develop in the USA in the 1960s and early 1970s? (10)
Topic 10: The Watergate
Scandal
What were the key features of Watergate?
1. In 1972, 5 men were arrested for breaking into the Democratic Party
headquarters (the Watergate building). They were found to be working for CREEP,
the committee to re-elect President Nixon.
2. Nixon denied all involvement in the break-in. He was re-elected as President.
3. One burglar confessed to being involved bribed by the White House to stay quiet
and the investigation was re-opened.
4. Nixon tried to abuse his powers as President to stop the FBI investigation into
the scandal. He was trying to cover-up the scandal.
5. It emerged that Nixon had installed a recording system in the Oval Office and the
Senate demanded that Nixon hand over the tapes. Nixon refused and sacked
the special prosecutor (Archibald Cox) who had been appointed to investigate the
issue. There were hearings in Congress and these gained a lot of publicity.
6. Eventually, Nixon handed over the tapes, which proved he had been involved all
along and had tried to stop the investigation.
7. Congress began the process to impeach (sack) Nixon, but he resigned first, in
1974.
Why did Nixon have to resign?
Nixon was forced to resign because otherwise he would have been impeached. He had
done lots of things wrong;
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The tapes proved he had been involved in covering up the original break in and
bugging the Watergate building. It showed he had illegally used money donated to his
re-election campaign to buy the burglars’ silence.
He tried to use his powers as president to block the investigation by the police, the
justice department and even Congress. This was probably the most serious crime.
He had lied to the American public persistently (even going on television to say
“there will be no whitewash at the White House”).
What were the effects of the Watergate Scandal on American
Politics?
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Trust in politicians was lost forever because of the scandal.
The USA was embarrassed, especially as this happened during the Cold War, when
America was particularly keen to send out a good image to the world.
Jimmy Carter, an outsider to Washington politics, was elected as the next
President.
Laws were passed to allow people to find out more about government activities.
Often known as the “sunshine laws”, the most important of these was the
Freedom of Information Act.
Other laws were passed to limit the powers of the President. For example, the
War Powers Act stopped presidents sending troops to war without the full
agreement of Congress.
Now you should be able to answer these exam questions
Why did President Nixon resign in 1974? (10)
Describe the key features of the Watergate Scandal. (7)
What were the effects of the Watergate scandal on the USA in the
1970s? (10)