| A | B |
|---|
| abolitionist | "a person who strongly favors doing away with slavery " |
| abstain | "to not take part in some activity, such as voting " |
| adobe | "a sun-dried mud brick used to build the homes of some Native Americans " |
| affluence | "the state of having much wealth " |
| alien | "an immigrant living in a country in which he or she is not a citizen " |
| alliance | "a close association of nations or other groups, formed to advance common interests or causes " |
| ambush | "a surprise attack " |
| amendment | "an addition to a formal document such as the Constitution " |
| American System | "policies devised by Henry Clay to stimulate the growth of industry " |
| amnesty | "the granting of pardon to a large number of persons; protection from prosecution for an illegal act " |
| annex | "to add a territory to one's own territory " |
| Antifederalists | "individuals who opposed ratification of the Constitution " |
| apprentice | "assistant who is assigned to learn the trade of a skilled craftsman " |
| appropriate | "to set something aside for a particular purpose, especially funds " |
| archaeology | "the study of ancient peoples " |
| arsenal | "a storage place for weapons and ammunition " |
| article | "a part of a document, such as the Constitution, that deals with a single subject " |
| artifact | "an item left behind by early people that represents their culture " |
| astrolabe | "an instrument used by sailors to observe positions of stars " |
| backcountry | "a region of hills and forests west of the Tidewater " |
| bicameral | "consisting of two houses, or chambers, especially in a legislature " |
| black codes | "laws passed in the South just after the Civil War aimed at controlling freedmen and enabling plantation owners to exploit African American workers " |
| blockade | "cut off an area by means of troops or warships to stop supplies or people from coming in or going out; to close off a country's ports " |
| blockade runner | "ship that sails into and out of a blockaded area " |
| bond | "a note issued by the government, which promises to pay off a loan with interest " |
| boomtown | "a community experiencing a sudden growth in business or population " |
| border ruffians | "Missourians who traveled in armed groups to vote in Kansas's election during the mid 1850s " |
| border states | "the states between the North and the South that were divided over whether to stay in the Union or join the Confederacy " |
| bounty | "money given as a reward, such as to encourage enlistment in the army " |
| boycott | "to refuse to buy items from a particular country " |
| bureaucracy | "system in which nonelected officials carry out laws and policies " |
| burgesses | "elected representatives to an assembly " |
| cabinet | "a group of advisers to the president " |
| Californios | "Mexicans who lived in California " |
| canal | "an artificial waterway " |
| capital | "money for investment " |
| capitalism | "an economic system based on private property and free enterprise " |
| caravel | "small, fast ship with a broad bow " |
| carbon dating | "a scientific method used to determine the age of an artifact " |
| carpetbaggers | "name given to Northern whites who moved South after the Civil War and supported the Republicans " |
| cash crop | "farm crop raised to be sold for money " |
| casualty | "a military person killed, wounded, or captured " |
| caucus | "a meeting held by a political party to choose their party's candidate for president or decide policy " |
| cede | "to give up by treaty " |
| census | "official count of a population " |
| charter | "a document that gives the holder the right to organize settlements in an area " |
| charter colony | "colony established by a group of settlers who had been given a formal document allowing them to settle " |
| checks and balances | "the system in which each branch of government has a check on the other two branches so that no one branch becomes too powerful " |
| circumnavigate | "to sail around the world " |
| citizen | "a person who owes loyalty to and is entitled to the protection of a state or nation " |
| civil disobedience | "refusal to obey laws that are considered unjust as a nonviolent way to press for changes " |
| civilization | "a highly developed culture, usually with organized religions and laws " |
| civil war | "conflict between opposing groups of citizens of the same country " |
| classical | "relating to ancient Greece and Rome " |
| clipper ship | "a fast sailing ship with slender lines, tall masts, and large square sails " |
| coeducation | "the teaching of male and female students together " |
| collective bargaining | "discussion between an employer and union representatives of workers over wages, hours, and working conditions " |
| Columbian Exchange | "exchange of goods, ideas, and people between Europe and the Americas " |
| commission | "a group of persons directed to perform some duty " |
| committee of correspondence | "an organization that used meetings, letters, and pamphlets to spread political ideas through the colonies " |
| compromise | "agreement between two or more sides in which each side gives up some of what it wants " |
| concurrent powers | "powers shared by the states and the federal government " |
| Conestoga wagon | "sturdy vehicle topped with white canvas and used by pioneers to move west " |
| conquistador | "Spanish explorer in the Americas in the 1500s " |
| constituents | "people that members of Congress represent " |
| constitution | "a formal plan of government " |
| corruption | "dishonest or illegal actions " |
| cotton gin | "a machine that removed seeds from cotton fiber " |
| counter-terrorism | "military or political activities intended to combat terrorism " |
| coureur de bois | "French trapper living among Native Americans " |
| court-martial | "to try by a military court " |
| credit | "a form of loan; ability to buy goods based on future payment " |
| culture | "a way of life of a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs " |
| customs duties | "taxes on foreign imported goods " |
| debtor | "person or country that owes money " |
| decree | "an order or decision given by one in authority " |
| demilitarize | "to remove armed forces from an area " |
| depreciate | "to fall in value " |
| depression | "a period of low economic activity and widespread unemployment " |
| desert | "to leave without permission " |
| dictator | "a leader who rules with total authority, often in a cruel or brutal manner " |
| disarmament | "removal of weapons " |
| discrimination | "unfair treatment of a group; unequal treatment because of a person's race, religion, ethnic background, or place of birth " |
| dissent | "disagreement with or opposition to an opinion " |
| diversity | "variety or difference " |
| domestic tranquility | "maintaining peace within the nation " |
| draft | "the selection of persons for required military service " |
| drought | "a long period of time with little rainfall " |
| due process of law | "idea that the government must follow procedures established by law and guaranteed by the Constitution " |
| effigy | "rag figure representing an unpopular individual " |
| Electoral College | "a special group of voters selected by their state's voters to vote for the president and vice president " |
| emancipate | "to free from slavery " |
| embargo | "an order prohibiting trade with another country " |
| emigrant | "a person who leaves a country or region to live elsewhere " |
| empresario | "a person who arranged for the settlement of land in Texas during the 1800s " |
| encomienda | "system of rewarding conquistadors with tracts of land and the right to tax and demand labor from Native Americans who lived on the land " |
| Enlightenment | "movement during the 1700s that spread the idea that knowledge, reason, and science could improve society " |
| entrenched | "occupying a strong defensive position " |
| enumerated powers | "powers belonging only to the federal government " |
| executive branch | "the branch of government, headed by the president, that carries out the nation's laws and policies " |
| export | "to sell goods abroad " |
| factory system | "system bringing manufacturing steps together in one place to increase efficiency " |
| famine | "an extreme shortage of food " |
| favorite son | "candidate that receives the backing of his home state rather than of the national party " |
| federal debt | "the amount of money owed by the government " |
| federalism | "the sharing of power between federal and state governments " |
| Federalists | "supporters of the Constitution " |
| federation | "a type of government that links different groups together " |
| feminist | "a person who advocates or is active in promoting women's rights " |
| fixed costs | "regular expenses such as housing or maintaining equipment that remain about the same year after year " |
| forty-niners | "people who went to California during the gold rush of 1849 " |
| freedman | "a person freed from slavery " |
| free enterprise | "the freedom of private businesses to operate competitively for profit with minimal government regulation " |
| frigate | "warship " |
| fugitive | "runaway or trying to run away " |
| genocide | "the deliberate destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group " |
| global warming | "a steady increase in average world temperatures " |
| grandfather clause | "a clause that allowed individuals who did not pass the literacy test to vote if their fathers or grandfathers had voted before Reconstruction began; an exception to a law based on preexisting circumstances " |
| greenback | "a piece of U.S. paper money first issued by the North during the Civil War " |
| guerrilla tactics | "referring to surprise attacks or raids rather than organized warfare " |
| guerrilla warfare | "a hit-and-run technique used in fighting a war; fighting by small bands of warriors using tactics such as sudden ambushes " |
| habeas corpus | "a legal order for an inquiry to determine whether a person has been lawfully imprisoned " |
| hieroglyphics | "an ancient form of writing using symbols and pictures to represent words, sounds, and concepts " |
| Holocaust | "the name given to the mass slaughter of Jews and other groups by the Nazis during World War II " |
| horizontal integration | "the combining of competing firms into one corporation " |
| human rights | "rights regarded as belonging to all persons, such as freedom from unlawful imprisonment, torture, and execution " |
| Ice Age | "a period of extremely cold temperatures when part of the planet's surface was covered with massive ice sheets " |
| impeach | "to formally charge a public official with misconduct in office " |
| imperialism | "the actions used by one nation to exercise political or economic control over smaller or weaker nations " |
| implied powers | "powers not specifically mentioned in the Constitution " |
| import | "to buy goods from foreign markets " |
| impressment | "forcing people into service, as in the navy " |
| indentured servant | "laborer who agreed to work without pay for a certain period of time in exchange for passage to America " |
| Industrial Revolution | "the change from an agrarian society to one based on industry which began in Great Britain and spread to the United States around 1800 " |
| inflation | "a continuous rise in the price of goods and services " |
| integrate | "to end separation of different races and bring into equal membership in society " |
| interchangeable parts | "uniform pieces that can be made in large quantities to replace other identical pieces " |
| internal improvements | "federal projects, such as canals and roads, to develop the nation's transportation system " |
| Internet | "a worldwide linking of computer networks " |
| ironclad | "armored naval vessel " |
| Iroquois Confederacy | "a powerful group of Native Americans in the eastern part of the United States made up of five nations: the Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, and Oneida " |
| island hopping | "a strategy used during World War II that called for attacking and capturing certain key islands and using these islands as bases to leapfrog to others " |
| joint occupation | "the possession and settling of an area shared by two or more countries " |
| joint-stock company | "a company in which investors buy stock in the company in return for a share of its future profits " |
| judicial branch | "the branch of government, including the federal court system, that interprets the nation's laws " |
| judicial review | "the right of the Supreme Court to determine if a law violates the Constitution " |
| laissez-faire | "policy that government should interfere as little as possible in the nation's economy " |
| landslide | "an overwhelming victory " |
| legislative branch | "the branch of government that makes the nation's laws " |
| line of demarcation | "an imaginary line running down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean from the North Pole to the South Pole dividing the Americas between Spain and Portugal " |
| literacy | "the ability to read and write " |
| literacy test | "a method used to prevent African Americans from voting by requiring prospective voters to read and write at a specified level " |
| lock | "in a canal, an enclosure with gates at each end used in raising or lowering boats as they pass from level to level " |
| log cabin campaign | "name given to William Henry Harrison's campaign for the presidency in 1840, from the Whigs' use of a log cabin as their symbol " |
| Loyalists | "American colonists who remained loyal to Britain and opposed the war for independence " |
| lynching | "putting to death a person by the illegal action of a mob " |
| maize | "an early form of corn grown by Native Americans " |
| majority | "more than half " |
| Manifest Destiny | "the idea popular in the United States during the 1800s that the country must expand its boundaries to the Pacific " |
| manumission | "the freeing of some enslaved persons " |
| martyr | "a person who sacrifices his or her life for a principle or cause " |
| Mayflower Compact | "a formal document, written in 1620, that provided law and order to the Plymouth colony " |
| mercantilism | "the theory that a state's or nation's power depended on its wealth " |
| mercenary | "paid soldier who serves in the army of a foreign country " |
| migration | "a movement of a large number of people into a new homeland " |
| militia | "a group of civilians trained to fight in emergencies " |
| minutemen | "companies of civilian soldiers who boasted that they were ready to fight on a minute's notice " |
| mission | "religious settlement " |
| monopoly | "total control of an industry by one company " |
| Morse code | "a system for transmitting messages that uses a series of dots and dashes to represent the letters of the alphabet, numbers, and punctuation " |
| mosque | "a Muslim house of worship " |
| mountain man | "a frontiersman living in the wilderness, as in the Rocky Mountains " |
| muckraker | "a journalist who uncovers abuses and corruption in a society " |
| mudslinging | "attempt to ruin an opponent's reputation with insults " |
| national debt | "the amount of money a national government owes to other governments or its people " |
| nationalism | "loyalty to a nation and promotion of its interests above all others " |
| nativist | "a person who favors those born in his country and is opposed to immigrants " |
| naturalization | "to grant full citizenship to a foreigner " |
| neutral | "taking no side in a conflict " |
| neutrality | "a position of not taking sides in a conflict " |
| neutral rights | "the right to sail the seas and not take sides in a war " |
| nomads | "people who move from place to place, usually in search of food or grazing land " |
| nominating convention | "system in which delegates from the states selected the party's presidential candidate " |
| nonimportation | "the act of not importing or using certain goods " |
| normal school | "a two-year school for training high school graduates as teachers " |
| Northwest Passage | "water route to Asia through North America sought by European explorers " |
| nullify | "to cancel or make ineffective " |
| offensive | "position of attacking or the attack itself " |
| ordinance | "a law or regulation " |
| override | "to overturn or defeat, as a bill proposed in Congress " |
| overseer | "person who supervises a large operation or its workers " |
| ozone | "the layer of gas composed of a form of oxygen that protects the earth and its people from cancer-causing sun rays " |
| pacifist | "person opposed to the use of war or violence to settle disputes " |
| partisan | "favoring one side of an issue " |
| patent | "a document that gives an inventor the sole legal right to an invention for a period of time " |
| Patriots | "American colonists who were determined to fight the British until American independence was won " |
| patroon | "landowner in the Dutch colonies who ruled like a king over large areas of land " |
| perjury | "lying when one has sworn an oath to tell the truth " |
| persecute | "to treat someone harshly because of that person's beliefs or practices " |
| petition | "a formal request " |
| pilgrimage | "a journey to a holy place " |
| Pilgrims | "Separatists who journeyed to the colonies during the 1600s for a religious purpose " |
| plantation | "a large estate run by an owner or manager and farmed by laborers who lived there " |
| plurality | "largest single share " |
| poll tax | "a tax of a fixed amount per person that had to be paid before the person could vote " |
| popular sovereignty | "political theory that government is subject to the will of the people " |
| preamble | "the introduction to a formal document, especially the Constitution " |
| precedent | "a tradition " |
| prejudice | "an unfair opinion not based on facts " |
| presidio | "Spanish fort in the Americas built to protect mission settlements " |
| privateer | "armed private ship " |
| Prohibition | "the nationwide ban on the manufacture, sale, and transportation of liquor in the United States that went into effect when the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified in 1919 " |
| propaganda | "ideas or information designed and spread to influence opinion " |
| proportional | "to be the same as or corresponding to " |
| proprietary colony | "colony run by individuals or groups to whom land was granted " |
| pueblo | "home or community of homes built by Native Americans " |
| Puritans | "Protestants who, during the 1600s, wanted to reform the Anglican Church " |
| radical | "extreme " |
| ranchero | "Mexican ranch owner " |
| rancho | "huge properties for raising livestock set up by Mexican settlers in California " |
| ratify | "to give official approval to " |
| Rebel | "Confederate soldier, so called because of opposition to the established government " |
| reconciliation | "settling by agreement or coming together again " |
| Reconstruction | "the reorganization and rebuilding of the former Confederate states after the Civil War " |
| recruit | "to enlist soldiers in the army " |
| relocate | "to force a person or group of people to move " |
| Renaissance | "a period of intellectual and artistic creativity, c. 1300-1600 " |
| rendezvous | "a meeting " |
| reparations | "payment by the losing country in a war to the winner for the damages caused by the war " |
| repeal | "to cancel an act or law " |
| republic | "a government in which citizens rule through elected representatives " |
| republicanism | "favoring a republic, or representative democracy, as the best form of government " |
| reservation | "an area of public lands set aside for Native Americans " |
| reserved powers | "powers retained by the states " |
| resolution | "a formal expression of opinion " |
| revenue | "incoming money " |
| revival | "a series of meetings conducted by a preacher to arouse religious emotions " |
| royal colony | "colony run by a governor and a council appointed by the king or queen " |
| scalawags | "name given by former Confederates to Southern whites who supported Republican Reconstruction of the South " |
| secede | "to leave or withdraw " |
| secession | "withdrawal from the Union " |
| sectionalism | "loyalty to a region " |
| sedition | "activities aimed at weakening established government " |
| segregation | "the separation or isolation of a race, class, or group " |
| Separatists | "Protestants who, during the 1600s, wanted to leave the Anglican Church in order to found their own churches " |
| settlement house | "institution located in a poor neighborhood that provided numerous community services such as medical care, child care, libraries, and classes in English " |
| sharecropping | "system of farming in which a farmer works land for an owner who provides equipment and seeds and receives a share of the crop " |
| slave code | "the laws passed in the Southern states that controlled and restricted enslaved people " |
| smuggling | "trading illegally with other nations " |
| speculator | "person who risks money in order to make a large profit " |
| spiritual | "an African American religious folk song " |
| spoils system | "practice of handing out government jobs to supporters; replacing government employees with the winning candidate's supporters " |
| stalemate | "a situation during a conflict when action stops because both sides are equally powerful and neither will give in " |
| states' rights | "rights and powers independent of the federal government that are reserved for the states by the Constitution; the belief that states' rights supersede federal rights and law " |
| strait | "a narrow passageway connecting two larger bodies of water " |
| strike | "a stopping of work by workers to force an employer to meet demands " |
| subsistence farming | "farming in which only enough food to feed one's family is produced " |
| suffrage | "the right to vote " |
| suffragist | "a man or woman who fought for a woman's right to vote " |
| tariff | "a tax on imports or exports " |
| technology | "the application of scientific discoveries to practical use " |
| Tejano | "a Mexican who claims Texas as his home " |
| telegraph | "a device or system that uses electric signals to transmit messages by a code over wires " |
| temperance | "the use of little or no alcoholic drink " |
| tenant farmer | "farmer who works land owned by another and pays rent either in cash or crops " |
| terrace | "a raised piece of land with the top leveled off to promote farming " |
| terrorism | "the use of violence by groups against civilians to achieve a political goal " |
| theocracy | "a form of government in which the society is ruled by religious leaders " |
| Tidewater | "a region of flat, low-lying plains along the seacoast " |
| toleration | "the acceptance of different beliefs " |
| total war | "war on all aspects of the enemy's life " |
| trade union | "organization of workers with the same trade or skill " |
| Transcendentalist | "any of a group of New England writers who stressed the relationship between human beings and nature, spiritual things over material things, and the importance of the individual conscience " |
| transcontinental | "extending across a continent " |
| triangular trade | "a trade route that exchanged goods between the West Indies, the American colonies, and West Africa " |
| tribute | "money paid for protection " |
| trust | "a combination of firms or corporations formed by a legal agreement, especially to reduce competition " |
| turnpike | "a road that one must pay to use; the money is used to pay for the road " |
| unalienable right | "a right that cannot be surrendered " |
| unconstitutional | "not agreeing or consistent with the Constitution " |
| Underground Railroad | "a system that helped enslaved African Americans follow a network of escape routes out of the South to freedom in the North " |
| utopia | "community based on a vision of a perfect society sought by reformers " |
| vaquero | "Hispanic ranch hand " |
| vertical integration | "the combining of companies that supply equipment and services needed for a particular industry " |
| veto | "to reject a bill and prevent it from becoming a law " |
| vigilantes | "people who take the law into their own hands " |
| War Hawks | "Republicans during Madison's presidency who pressed for war with Britain " |
| writ of assistance | "legal document that enabled officers to search homes and warehouses for goods that might be smuggled " |
| Yankee | "Union soldier " |
| yellow journalism | "a type of sensational, biased, and often false reporting " |
| yeoman | "Southern owner of a small farm who did not have enslaved people " |
