Some sectors of the US economy grew dramatically in the 1920s. DEPTH STUDY D: THE UNITED STATES, 1919–41

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2023). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [1-4] 'Cars were produced using assembly line techniques introduced by Henry Ford.'
2. [1-4] 'By 1929 one in five Americans owned a car.'
3. [1-4] 'The growth in car manufacture encouraged road building and the development of suburbs and holiday resorts.'
4. [1-4] 'Half a million workers were employed in the motor industry.'
5. [1-4] 'The cost of cars fell as more were produced.'
6. [1-4] 'Ford kept prices down by painting all the cars black.'
7. [2-3] 'It helped make products more affordable.'
8. [2-3] 'People could pay in instalments which meant more people were able to buy.'
9. [2-3] 'It meant demand for consumer goods went up.'
10. [2-3] 'Many people bought mass produced consumer goods this way.'
11. [2-3] 'Cinemas and billboards advertised products to large audiences.'
12. [2-3] 'Mail order catalogues were produced and magazines and newspapers carried adverts for new consumer goods.'
13. [4-5] 'Hire purchase and mass marketing drove the boom because commercials were produced to advertise the products. These were shown in cinemas, on billboards and published in newspapers. This meant everyone was exposed to ideas about new products. With such a big audience it was more likely that people would buy new products and this meant that production went up.'
14. [6] Level 4 Explains TWO reasons (e.g., affordability through installments and increased consumer awareness).
15. [2-3] 'The construction industry benefitted.'
16. [2-3] 'Cotton and woollen textiles lost out to new products such as rayon.'
17. [2-3] 'Farming did not do well.'
18. [2-3] 'Coal mining did not do so well in the boom.'
19. [2-3] 'There was an increased demand for steel due to the development of the car industry.'
20. [2-3] 'Oil and gas became more popular than coal.'
21. [2-3] 'The car led to the development of suburbs so more houses were built.'
22. [4-6] 'Some traditional industries did not benefit from the boom. For instance, the cotton and woollen textile industries did not benefit. New fabrics such as rayon were much more popular and so there was less demand for traditional fabrics. Coal mining was another traditional industry which did not benefit because oil and gas were increasingly used in homes and factories.'
23. [4-6] 'However, some traditional industries did benefit from the boom. The construction industry benefited hugely and there were many new skyscrapers built in New York such as the 102 storey Empire State Building. There was also an increase in home building. The steel industry also benefited, partly as a result of the increase in the motor industry but also because of the requirement for steel girders for construction.'
24. [7-9] Level 4 Explanation of both sides (A L4 answer will have a minimum of three explanations (2 on one side; 1 on the other). Fuller explanation of one issue to be given two marks. An answer which only has one explanation on one side of the argument cannot be awarded more than 8.)
25. [10] Level 5 Explains with evaluation of 'how far' (As Level 4 plus evaluation.)