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Setting the Scene
📖 Setting the Scene
In August 1920, American women finally won the right to vote with the 19th Amendment, a right men had taken for granted for over a century. At the same time, young "flappers" were scandalising their parents with short hair, short skirts, cigarettes, and nights out dancing to jazz. Newspapers proclaimed a revolution in women's lives. But here's the historian's question: How much actually changed, and for whom? The flapper made great headlines, but she was young, urban, white, and middle-class. What about the farmer's wife, the factory worker, the Black domestic servant? Their 1920s looked very different. This topic is about understanding BOTH the changes AND the limits.
The Roaring 20s, Crash Course (covers flappers & social change)
How to THINK About This Topic (History Skills)
This is a classic "change and continuity" question, one of the most important skills in History GCSE. You need to:
Earn the mark scheme marks
✍️ How to Write About Change and Continuity
This structure works for any "how did life change" question:
Paragraph 1: "In some ways, women's lives changed significantly..." + evidence of change + explain significance
Paragraph 2: "Furthermore..." + more evidence of change
Paragraph 3: "However, these changes were limited because..." + evidence of continuity
Paragraph 4: "Moreover, change was uneven, for [specific groups]..." + show not everyone experienced change equally
Conclusion: Overall judgement: "Change was real but limited because..." OR "Overall, significant change occurred, although..."
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 12
In which year did the 19th Amendment give all American women the right to vote?
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