America, 1840-1895: Expansion and Consolidation, is a period study that investigates two aspects of the history of the United States in the second half of the nineteenth century. 'Expansion' explores the move westwards by settlers and pioneers, and the ensuing conflicts with Native American peoples. 'Consolidation' refers to the forging of the United States as a nation, through its political and economic growth. You will study a range of significant events, people and situations, which shaped the United States throughout this period.

This study enables you to understand the challenges facing the United States, and how it overcame them. The challenges ranged from political conflict between the federal government and individual states, to the social and moral issues of dealing with slavery and Native American culture. Through the study of this topic you will develop key historical skills, such as cause and consequence, and change and continuity. You will also be encouraged to develop your critical thinking skills, through the analysis of interpretations.

America, 1840-1895: Expansion and Consolidation features 3 key enquiry topics:

• ❖ Enquiry 1 looks at the American West, exploring the lifestyles of the Native Americans who lived on the Great Plains. It also examines the opportunities it offered for settlement, and studies the people who tried to carve their lives out of the Great American Desert.
• ❖ Enquiry 2 focuses on the growing conflicts in the United States at this time: the wars between the US Government and the Native Americans of the Great Plains, and the internal struggle between northern and southern states in the American Civil War.
• ❖ Finally. Enquiry 3 explores how conflict was overcome. It looks at reconciliation and reconstruction in the aftermath of the Civil War. It then examines the fate of Native Americans, the permanent settlement of the American West, and the end of the Indian Frontier.

Some of the key individuals studied on this course include:

• ❖ Brigham Young.
• ❖ Little Crow.
• ❖ Red Cloud.
• ❖ Abraham Lincoln.
• ❖ Crazy Horse.
• ❖ Sitting Bull.
• ❖ George Armstrong Custer.

Some of the key events you will study on this course include:

• ❖ The California Gold Rush.
• ❖ The Indian Wars.
• ❖ The American Civil War.
• ❖ The abolition of slavery.
• ❖ The Battle of the Little Bighorn.

America, 1840-1895: Expansion and Consolidation is the period study component of your AQA qualification. It is examined in Paper 1. You should spend 1 hour on this section of the paper. There will be 6 exam questions: in questions 1-3 you will be required to assess and evaluate two historical interpretations about the period using detailed contextual knowledge. Questions 4-6 are purely knowledge based.

• ❖ Question 1 is worth 4 marks. This question requires you to describe and explain how two interpretations are different.
• ❖ Question 2 is worth 4 marks. This question requires you to describe and explain why the two interpretations are different.
• ❖ Question 3 is worth 8 marks. This question requires you to explain how convincing the interpretations are. You must give a substantiated judgement, based on the interpretations and your contextual knowledge.
• ❖ Question 4 is worth 4 marks. This is a 'describe' question, in which you must provide two detailed reasons/examples/features about a particular topic covered in America, 1840-1895.
• ❖ Question 5 is worth 8 marks. This question will test your understanding of second order concepts (cause, consequence, change, continuity, etc.). In this question you must demonstrate your knowledge about a topic you have covered, and give different reasons based on the second order concept you are given.
• ❖ Question 6 is worth 12 marks. This question will ask you to pick between two events, individuals or situations, and will ask you to make a sustained judgement of both bullet points, using your contextual knowledge and understanding of second order concepts.