History Controlled Assessment WW1

A rally of the KKK in 2009

A lynching in Marion, Indiana, 1930.

How useful is Source A (p65) for studying American attitudes towards the KKK during the 1920s? (10)
Plan
Useful/Limitations
Provenance
Target: Evaluation of a source for utility using own knowledge (AOs 1,2 and 3)
Candidates either submit no evidence or fail to address the question. 0
Level 1: EITHER
Accepts the content of the source at face value.
e.g. It is useful because it shows what the Ku Klux Klan did
OR
Generalised or learned response which could apply to any source.
e.g. It is a photograph from a newspaper which will show people events of the time.
1-2

Level 2: EITHER
Simple comments on the usefulness or the limitations of the source based on information in the source and/or own knowledge.
e.g. It is useful for showing that many Americans knew who the KKK were, and there were representatives from different parts of the country. They are parading in Washington DC, the capital, making the Klan seem more important.
OR
Simple comments on the usefulness or the limitations of the source in terms of provenance or reliability or bias.
e.g. It is useful because, although a newspaper photograph, it does reflect the fact that most Americans recognised the KKK as an everyday part of life.
3-5

Level 3: EITHER
Developed explanation about the utility/limitations of the source using the source and own knowledge.
e.g. It is useful for reflecting American attitudes towards the KKK. For many Americans the Klan was seen as a respectable organisation that stood for order and the preservation of traditional values, as shown by the organised nature of the procession. Respectable members of society such as judges and policemen were in the Klan. The Klan was, and is, a Protestant based organization opposed to blacks, Jews, Catholics, and immigrants in general. Though the Klan was dominant in the South its influence during the 1920s was nationwide, as shown by the fact that the parade is in Washington, the capital. Some black Americans drifted to the North to escape from the South where Klan membership was strongest, causing resentment in some Northern cities. The Klan also opposed Marxism, homosexuality, atheism, and liberalism in general, and was accepted almost as a pillar of virtue. A series of scandals ruined their image after 1925, such as when D. C. Stephenson, the Grand Dragon of Indiana, was found guilty of rape, and the organisation declined. By 1929 membership had dropped to just under 200,000. The Klan were also supporters of Prohibition on the grounds that drinking was sinful.
OR
Developed explanation about the utility/limitations of the source focusing on the provenance of the source in relation to the content and/or own knowledge.
e.g. It is useful because it shows how a newspaper portrayed the Klan. It was seen as a respectable organisation maintaining decent standards in society. The newspaper will show current issues which it deemed to be important for the American people and the March on Washington in 1925 was widely reported. There were over 400,000 members of the Klan in attendance. As a newspaper photograph however, it will not necessarily represent the views of all Americans, simply reflect those sections of the community which supported the Klan. In 1924 the Ku Klux Klan is reported to have had 4 million members and held great political power in Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Indiana, Ohio, and California. The states of Rhode Island and Connecticut are shown in the picture. Approximately 20% of adult white males in the South were members of the KKK at this time. 6-8
Level 4: Both strands above, one at Level 3, the other at standard/good Level 2
Both strands above at Level 3
9-10