A summary of the AQA textbook Making of a Superpower: USA - organised with clear headers, sections and thematically divided by exam theme. A great revision to make sure you have all the notes needed to answer any question
AQA History: 'The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865-1975' Course Overview Sheet 1
AQA History: 'The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865-1975' Course Overview Sheet 2
AQA History: 'The Making of a Superpower: USA, 1865-1975' Course Overview Sheet 3
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History
The Making of a Superpower: USA 1865-1975
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Background of the United States
● Made of 13 colonies (on the east coast)
● Independence war against Britain 1776-83
● Established with a constitution
● Expansion west meant 30 states by 1850
● Differences between north and southern states meant civil war
The Political System
Federal System of government
● Federal government based in Washington DC
● State governments per state
● Replicate federal system
● More democratic than UK at the time because almost all white males could vote
The Executive
● The President
○ Voted every 4 years
○ Vice president takes over if resigns/dies
○ By the Electoral College Vote system
○ Powers
■ May call special sessions of congress
■ May recommend legislation
■ May veto bills
■ Chooses own ministers and cabinet (but they can't sit in congress
■ Commander-in-chief of the army
The Legislative
● Congress
○ Senate
○ House of Representatives
○ Both need to agree before a law can be made
○ Can override a president's veto
○ Can impeach/remove President from office
● Senate
○ Two senators per state (no matter size of state)
○ Sit for six years, 1/3 are voted every two years
● House of Representatives
○ Represent constituencies based on population
○ Whole group elected every two years
The Judiciary
● The Supreme Court
○ Highest court
○ Approves and decides if laws are constitutional
○ 9? Are appointed by president
○ Senate checks president appointments
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,Weakness of Federal System
● Has a limited impact on most Americans
● Constitution 'checks and balances' means hard for one political party to control all aspects at one time -
federal government can't do much
● Power limited by fact that many Americans don’t think it should be done at federal involvement
● Only controlled Navy, Treasury, Interior, Post Office - Education, Public Health controlled by state
The Differences between North and South
● North 18 free states, 18.65 million population
● South 15 slave states, 10.5 million population
Economical Differences
North South
Internal and foreign trade Had 35% of population, only 10% of America's manufactured
Improved transportation (canal, river, road) goods
Weren't willing to accept industrialization, focused on
agriculture
Used slaves in production of cotton, tobacco and rice
Supported tariffs (to put down britain) Supported free trade (with britain)
Made profits from their productions Felt exploited by north
Cultural Differences
North South
Laws to prevent duelling 'code of honour' still important
Slavery, honour, Christian faith To the death
Resent change Free Labour, Libery, Puritan
Viewed as illmannered and aggressive Better educated
Willing to accept reform/change/ideas
Viewed as backwards, out of touch
Political Differences
North South
Republicans Democrats
Welcomed political growth Didn’t want a system that might change their interests
Less about individual state rights (especially slavery)
Wanted states to keep power
Slavery
North South
Wanted it abolished Supported
1777-1858 became free states For economic, social and political reasons
Not necessarily tolerant of racial issues Economy relied on its labour
2
,Thought it went against declaration of independence Became a measure of wealth and status
Ensured white supremacy
Slavery in 1860
Statistics
● 4 million slaves in south
● 1/4 southern families owned slaves
● 50% had less than 5 slaves
● 50% had over 20 on plantations
○ 50% on cotton
○ 10% on tobacco, rice, sugar, hemp
● 250,000 free African Americans in south
● 250,000 in north, but discriminated
○ 10% slaves lived in town/worked in industry
Conditions
● Dispute about if slaves were happy or not
● Ulrich Phillips (southern)
○ Didn’t work harder than free americans
○ Floggings were rare
○ Well fed, clothed and housed
○ Granted/made enough money to buy their freedom
○ Not that many wanted to escape to freedom to north/canada
● Kenneth Stampp
○ Slaves were sold, punished by branding/flogging, sexually abused, killed
○ Worked longer hours than free americans
○ Slaved hated slavery
○ Didn’t attempt to escape for fear of punishment
Civil War 1861-1865
Causes of War
● From the long standing differences between north and south
● Abraham Lincoln
○ Republican
○ Won 1860 Election
○ Pledging to end slavery
○ 7 slave states seceded and formed new nation (confederates)
○ Grew to 11
○ Northern states called Union
○ Union refused to accept secession
■ Feared it would discredit legitimacy of democracy
■ Scared it would create 7 fighting countries
Deaths in Thousands Money in Billions
Total 618
Union 360 2.3
Confeds 258 1 (lost 2.7)
3
, ● Still deep divisions between north and south
● Emancipation of 3.5 million slaves
Reconstruction 1865-1877
Political Effects
Background
● North was not harsh to the confederates
○ Only one man was executed
○ No major confiscation of property
● Democrats were still powerful, supporting white supremacy
● South had been under democratic control, and that didn't change
1869 Tennessee
1876 Virginia
North Carolina
Georgia
Texas
Arkansas
Alabama
Mississippi
1877 Florida
South Carolina
Louisiana
Effects
● White temporarily lost control of southern states
● 1865 southern influence lost political input
● 1788-1860 south had dominated presidency and Supreme court
○ 1864-1914 one southern presidents and 7/31 judges of supreme court
● Southern states felt excluded from political/social washington/north
Economic Effects
● To begin with
○ Positive effects
○ Turned in industrial power
○ 1867-1873 south has
■ US prosperity
■ High cotton prices
■ Railroads
■ Textile manufacturing expansion
● Lasting
○ Didn’t last the same as the north
○ South was a region of poverty
■ 2/5 of northern average income
○ Relied heavily on cotton income
■ That dropped
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