America 1920-1973Exam Focus

Study Prioritisation — What to Study First (Unit 2: America)

Part of Key Dates and StatisticsGCSE History

This exam focus covers Study Prioritisation — What to Study First (Unit 2: America) within Key Dates and Statistics for GCSE History. Revise Key Dates and Statistics in America 1920-1973 for GCSE History with 10 exam-style questions and 0 flashcards. This topic appears less often, but it can still be a useful differentiator on mixed-topic papers. It is section 14 of 15 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.

Topic position

Section 14 of 15

Practice

10 questions

Recall

0 flashcards

🎯 Study Prioritisation — What to Study First (Unit 2: America)

Not all topics are equally likely to appear in your exam. Use this guide if your revision time is limited.

Tier 1 — MUST study (appear in nearly every sitting):

  • Economic Boom (Topic 4) — WCRAM causes, Model T, credit, 5/5 sittings
  • Causes of the Depression (Topic 10) — Wall Street Crash, bank failures, 5/5 sittings
  • Segregation (Topic 16) — Jim Crow, Plessy v Ferguson, Brown v Board
  • Birmingham 1963 (Topic 18) — Children's Crusade, fire hoses, March on Washington
  • Voting Rights (Topic 19) — Selma, Voting Rights Act 1965, Mississippi 7% to 67%

Tier 2 — SHOULD study (appear frequently):

  • Prohibition (Topic 8) — organised crime, Al Capone, 18th and 21st Amendments
  • New Deal (Topic 12) — Three Rs, CCC/WPA/TVA, what it failed to do
  • Direct Action (Topic 17) — Montgomery, Greensboro, Freedom Rides
  • Black Power (Topic 21) — Carmichael, Black Panthers, Malcolm X

Tier 3 — IF TIME (appear less often but still valuable):

  • America in 1920 (T3), Life Changes (T5), Wealth Inequality (T6), Women (T7), Intolerance (T9), FDR Election (T11), New Deal opposition and success (T13-T14), WW2 and Post-War (T15), Legacy (T22)

Time guide: 5 hours of revision → focus on Tier 1 only. 10 hours → Tiers 1 and 2. 15+ hours → all topics. Remember: AQA can set questions on any topic, but Tier 1 topics almost always appear.

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Key Dates and Statistics. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Practice Questions for Key Dates and Statistics

On which date did the Wall Street Crash reach its worst point, known as 'Black Tuesday'?

  • A. 24 October 1924
  • B. 29 October 1929
  • C. 4 March 1933
  • D. 5 November 1932
1 markfoundation

What was the peak unemployment rate in the USA at the height of the Great Depression in 1933?

  • A. 10%
  • B. 17%
  • C. 25%
  • D. 40%
1 markfoundation

Quick Recall Flashcards

Two key laws of 1964 and 1965?
Civil Rights Act 1964 (banned discrimination in public life) + Voting Rights Act 1965 (banned literacy tests)
Date of the Wall Street Crash?
October 24-29, 1929 ("Black Thursday" and "Black Tuesday") — shares lost $30 billion in two days

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