Scottish National 4 (Nat 4) History (National 4) Syllabus

What was the 'triangular trade' in the Atlantic slave trade?

A three-leg route: manufactured goods from Britain to West Africa; enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas; and raw materials (sugar, cotton, tobacco) back to Britain.

What was the 'Middle Passage'?

The brutal sea voyage carrying enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas, marked by overcrowding, disease, cruelty and high death rates.

What goods were produced by enslaved people on plantations in the Americas?

Mainly sugar, tobacco, cotton and coffee, which were shipped back to Britain and Europe.

Name two leading campaigners for the abolition of the slave trade in Britain.

William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson (others include Olaudah Equiano and Granville Sharp).

When was the slave trade abolished in the British Empire, and when was slavery itself abolished?

The slave trade was abolished in 1807; slavery throughout the British Empire was abolished in 1833.

In 'Changing Britain 1851-1951', what were the main causes of poor health in Victorian cities?

Overcrowded slum housing, dirty water, poor sanitation and sewage, which spread diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

What were the Liberal Reforms (1906-1914) intended to do?

To tackle poverty among the young, old, sick and unemployed through measures like free school meals, old age pensions and National Insurance.

What did the Old Age Pensions Act 1908 provide?

A small weekly state pension for people over 70 on low incomes, helping to reduce poverty among the elderly.

What were the five 'Giant Evils' identified by the Beveridge Report (1942)?

Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness.

What major change did the Labour government create in 1948 to tackle 'Disease'?

The National Health Service (NHS), providing healthcare free at the point of use for everyone.

In 'The Making of Modern Britain', what is meant by the 'Welfare State'?

A system in which the government takes responsibility for the wellbeing of citizens 'from cradle to grave' through services like the NHS, pensions and benefits.

In 'Free at Last?', what was racial segregation in the southern USA?

The legal separation of black and white people in public life (schools, transport, restaurants), enforced by 'Jim Crow' laws.

What were the 'Jim Crow laws'?

State and local laws in the southern USA that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against black Americans.

What was the significance of the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56)?

Sparked by Rosa Parks' arrest, the year-long boycott led by Martin Luther King ended bus segregation in Montgomery and made King a national civil rights leader.

What was the importance of the 1963 March on Washington?

A huge peaceful protest where Martin Luther King gave his 'I Have a Dream' speech, building pressure for civil rights legislation.

What did the Civil Rights Act 1964 and the Voting Rights Act 1965 achieve?

The Civil Rights Act banned racial discrimination in public places and jobs; the Voting Rights Act removed barriers stopping black Americans from voting.

How did Martin Luther King's methods differ from those of Malcolm X?

King advocated non-violent, peaceful protest and integration; Malcolm X (initially) supported black self-defence, black separatism and 'by any means necessary'.

In 'Hitler and Nazi Germany', why was the Treaty of Versailles (1919) resented in Germany?

It forced Germany to accept blame for the war (War Guilt Clause), pay heavy reparations, lose land and limit its army, which Hitler exploited.

How did Hitler become Chancellor of Germany in 1933?

After the Nazis became the largest party, President Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor, believing he could be controlled.

What was the Reichstag Fire (1933) and how did Hitler use it?

The burning of the German parliament building, blamed on communists, which Hitler used to pass the Enabling Act and crush opposition.

What did the Enabling Act (1933) allow Hitler to do?

It allowed Hitler to make laws without the Reichstag's approval, effectively making him a dictator.

What was the 'Night of the Long Knives' (1934)?

A purge in which Hitler had leaders of the SA and other rivals murdered to secure his power and gain the army's loyalty.

How did the Nazis use propaganda and terror to control Germany?

Propaganda (controlled by Goebbels) shaped public opinion through radio, film and rallies, while the Gestapo and SS used fear, arrests and concentration camps to silence opposition.

How were Jewish people persecuted in Nazi Germany before the war?

Through boycotts of Jewish businesses, the Nuremberg Laws (1935) stripping citizenship, and violence such as Kristallnacht (1938).

What was the 'Iron Curtain' in the Cold War?

A term (popularised by Churchill) describing the political and ideological divide separating communist Eastern Europe from the capitalist West.

What was the main ideological conflict of the Cold War?

The rivalry between the capitalist, democratic USA and the communist USSR, each trying to spread its system without direct (hot) war.

What was the significance of the Berlin Wall (built 1961, fell 1989)?

It physically divided communist East Berlin from capitalist West Berlin; its fall in 1989 symbolised the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War.

What was the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)?

A 13-day confrontation when the USSR placed nuclear missiles in Cuba; the USA blockaded the island, and the world came close to nuclear war before the missiles were withdrawn.

When evaluating a historical source, what key factors should you consider?

Its origin (who wrote it and when), purpose (why it was made), content (what it says) and reliability (whether it is biased, accurate or one-sided).

What is the difference between a primary and a secondary source?

A primary source is created at the time of the event by someone present; a secondary source is made later by someone studying the event, such as a historian's book.

When comparing two viewpoints, how do you show they agree or disagree?

Identify specific points from each source and quote/refer to them, explaining whether they make the same point (agreement) or opposite points (disagreement).

What is the difference between a cause and an effect (consequence) in history?

A cause is a reason why an event happened; an effect (consequence) is a result or outcome that followed because of the event.