For some Americans the 1920s were a period of greater freedom.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2022). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1] The U.S.A. film industry was centred in a small suburb of Los Angeles called Hollywood.
2. [1] Many cinemas were opened.
3. [1] The big film companies promoted stars such as Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin.
4. [1] Some of the new films were considered scandalous.
5. [1] After a threat from states to bring in censorship, Hollywood brought in its own censorship code.
6. [1] It was organised on a studio basis, such as MGM.
7. [1] Fundamental Christianity became more popular.
8. [1] Challenges to fundamental beliefs were not accepted.
9. [1] Many European immigrants were Catholic or Jewish.
10. [1] Social changes in the 1920s led to a religious revival among conservative Christians.
11. [1] There was a growing divide between the city culture and traditional rural areas.
12. [1] Fundamentalists believed in everything the Bible said.
13. [1] Other beliefs were condemned, especially in the Bible Belt states.
14. [Level 3/4 explanation example] One reason there was religious intolerance was the rise in popularity of Fundamentalist Christianity. Fundamentalists believed in a literal translation of the Bible and did not believe in the theory of evolution. They were concerned about declining standards of morality and set up their own churches. They did not tolerate other religions or groups which challenged their ideas. This culminated in the 'monkey trial' where a high school biology teacher broke the law by teaching the theory of evolution.
15. [1] New labour-saving devices made housework easier.
16. [1] More women were employed.
17. [1] Some women experienced greater freedom.
18. [1] Poor women could not afford vacuum cleaners and washing machines.
19. [1] Those employed in traditional industries still had poor wages.
20. [1] Men were paid more than women, even in the same job.
21. [Level 3 explanation example - Women's lives improved] Life improved for some women in the 1920s. The number of women in employment increased by 25% to 10 million by 1929. Office work and manufacturing accounted for much of the increase and in some new industries, such as electronics, women were preferred to men. Many benefitted from new labour-saving devices which were designed to make housework easier.
22. [Level 3 explanation example - Women's lives did not improve] For some women, the 1920s brought little change. If women lived in rural areas or worked in traditional occupations such as cotton textiles, they still had poor wages and did not benefit from some of the aspects of the boom. Women were still paid less than men, even if they were in the same job. Only a minority became 'flappers' and greater freedom was not shared equally between town and countryside.