| A | B |
|---|
| glass ceiling | This term refers to the “invisible wall” that many women and minorities feel when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder. |
| reverse racism | Idea that special efforts made to make up for past racism are in fact discriminating against others. |
| refugees | People who have fled their homes because of war or famine. |
| House of Burgesses | First government in the Jamestown, Virginia—It was a form of representative democracy |
| Mayflower Compact | Agreement signed by the Pilgrims that created a direct democracy for the Plymouth Colony. |
| Toleration Act | Law that created religious freedom in Maryland in 1649. |
| Social Contract | Idea proposed by John Locke that citizens create government to provide them with security and if that contract is not fulfilled then they have a right to break it. |
| Albany Plan | Plan presented during the French and Indian War by Ben Franklin that proposed the unification of the colonies in order to win the war. |
| Proclamation of 1763 | British law that prohibited the colonists from crossing beyond the Appalachian Mountains. |
| Declaration of Independence | passed in July 1776 and written by Thomas Jefferson—This document proclaimed the independence of the colonies and gave the reasons for our proclamation. |
| Saratoga | Battle where the colonists defeated the British and convinced the French to join on the American side. |
| Valley Forge | Place where the colonial army nearly froze to death in the winter of 1777 because of a lack of supplies. |
| Yorktown | Last battle of the Revolutionary War with the British surrender to Washington’s Army in 1781. |
| Articles of Confederation | First government of the United States—Was a weak government with few powers and only lasted a few years until it was replaced. |
| Shay's Rebellion | Event that occurred when Massachusetts farmers revolted over high state taxes and caused people to realize the weakness of the government. |
| Constitutional Convention | Meeting called in 1787 in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation however the delegates decided to replace the Articles with a stronger government. |
| Virginia Plan | Government proposed by James Madison at the Convention—It called for a three branch government with a legislature based on population. |
| New Jersey Plan | Government plan presented by William Patterson that called for a legislature based on state equality and a group executive power. |
| Great Compromise | Agreement made at the Convention of 1787 that created a two house legislature with one house based on population and the other based on state equality. |
| Slave Trade Compromise | Agreement at the convention of 1787 that Congress would not tax exports and slave trading could be banned in 20 years. |
| Federalists | Political group who supported the passage of the new Constitution and its stronger government. |
| Anti-Federalists | Political group who opposed the new Constitution and thought it lacked a specific list of people’s rights. |
| 3/5 compromise | Agreement made at the convention of 1787 that slaves would count as 3/5 a person for the census to determine the population of each state. |
