The boom brought advantages for some Americans but did not benefit all.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2024). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [4] Advertisements were placed in magazines and on billboards.
2. [4] New consumer goods were advertised widely.
3. [4] Hire purchase schemes were introduced.
4. [4] Consumer goods could be paid for in instalments.
5. [4] Commercials advertising new goods were devised for the cinema.
6. [4] Mail order catalogues were used to promote consumer goods.
7. [6] One reason that many women's lives changed was that the boom led to an increase in employment opportunities which were deemed suitable for women. New industries such as in electronics preferred to employ women. Other developments such as the increase in telephones and typewriters meant there were more opportunities as office workers.
8. [2-3] New technology, such as in electronics, meant there were more job opportunities.
9. [2-3] The introduction of new fabrics such as rayon changed clothing and fashion.
10. [2-3] More women learned to drive cars.
11. [2-3] Women were increasingly independent because they had jobs.
12. [2-3] The number of women working rose to 10 million by 1929.
13. [1] The boom happened in the 1920s.
14. [10] Farming suffered more than traditional industries because it was already in a bad way by 1920 and things only got worse with overproduction and tariffs preventing sales of excess produce abroad. On the other hand some traditional industries, such as steel and construction, actually benefitted from the boom.
15. [4-6] Traditional industries suffered very much in the 1920s. Many people were employed in the coal industry, but too much coal was being produced, which reduced prices. At the same time, people were switching to new power sources such as electricity, gas and oil. Although coal was used to generate electricity, new efficient technology meant electricity producers did not use a lot of coal to produce a lot of energy. As a result of these changes, many coal mines closed and miners lost their jobs. Where mines stayed open, miners often faced wage cuts.
16. [4-6] Agriculture was in a bad state by the start of the 1920s. American farms were producing far more food than Americans needed, and the price of grain collapsed. As incomes dropped, farmers could not afford to pay their rents or mortgages. Many were evicted from their farms or had to sell to clear debts. It was not possible to sell surplus crops abroad because of European reactions to US tariffs.
17. [2-3] Coal mining suffered and profits fell.
18. [2-3] The cotton and wool industries lost trade and their workers were among the lowest paid.
19. [2-3] Many small farmers could no longer afford rents or mortgage payments.
20. [2-3] There was overproduction of crops and prices fell.
21. [2-3] Many Black American agricultural labourers lost their jobs.
22. [2-3] Six million rural Americans were forced off the land in the 1920s.
23. [1] Mass production techniques were used in the 1920s.