Overview
The USA 1900 – 1945 has been developed for senior secondary students of History and is part of the Nelson Modern History series. Each book in the series is based on the understanding that History is an interpretive study of the past by which students also come to better appreciate the making of the modern world. Developing understandings of the past and present in senior History extends on the skills learnt in earlier years. Students will use historical skills, including research, evaluation, synthesis, analysis and communication. They will rely on their knowledge of the historical concepts such as evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, significance, empathy, perspectives and contestability, to understand and interpret societies from the past. The activities and tasks have been written to ensure that students develop the skills and attributes required for senior History subjects.
This study of the United States of America from the early 20th century to the end of World War II explores a variety of themes using a rich range of primary visual and text sources and recent historiography. Included in the text are detailed considerations of American capitalism, social and cultural developments in literature and the arts, race relations and the experience of the ‘Jazz Age’, the Great Depression, and the impact of war.
Series Editor, Tony Taylor is the past Director of the National Inquiry into the Teaching and Learning of History and the National Centre for History Education. From 2006 to 2010 he was a senior consultant to federal government bodies responsible for the development of Australian Curriculum History, while researching and publishing extensively in various topics in education and History.
About the series
Series editor acknowledgements
Author acknowledgements
Introduction
CHAPTER 1
Making modern America: 1870-1919
CHAPTER 2
A golden age?
CHAPTER 3
Not so jazzy: 1919-1929
CHAPTER 4
The Great Depression: 1929-1941
CHAPTER 5
The four freedoms: Second World War, 1941-1945
Conclusion
Sarah Mirams has taught history in secondary and tertiary settings, worked as an education officer for cultural and heritage institutions, and has contributed to numerous textbooks for secondary students. Sarah is the author of Nelson’s successful Twentieth Century History 1900–1945 for VCE Unit 1 and Twentieth Century History 1945–2000 for VCE Unit 2. She is also the author of Nelson Modern History titles, Civil Rights in the United States of America and co-author of Australia 1918-1950s, to be released next year. Sarah now works as an independent historian.
The Nelson Modern History series is an extensive suite of full colour topic books developed for Australian senior students. Each title draws on recent scholarship, historiography and history specific pedagogy to ensure relevance and teachability. Providing flexibility for schools and students, Nelson Modern History is the up to date and relevant history education solution for senior students
The front cover of each title features a line drawing associated with the topic. Functioning as a topic starter, this iconic image is unpacked with a photograph and commentary with a link to a key individual and an illustrated timeline
The introduction to each book includes a brief overview of the topic and a handy reference sequence that includes profiles of major figures and organisations, definitions of key concepts and summaries of major documents
Each chapter is structured around inquiry questions and includes age appropriate language, recent research in the field, diagrams, maps and illustrations, biographical profiles that incorporate activities and discussions of historians and schools of interpretation
Chapters close with a topic summary, suggestions for further reading and review activities that consolidate content knowledge and build historical skills
Each title closes with a brief summation and a set of activities that encourage students to draw on their learning and reflect on the topic as a whole.