| A | B |
|---|
| extermination | total destruction |
| reservation | area of land set aside for Native American nations |
| range | an open area of land where the animals are free to roam |
| homestead | a home and the land surrounding it |
| prairie | eastern part of the Great Plains where tall grasses grow |
| sod | the thick mat of roots and earth beneath the prairie grass |
| lode | a rich vein of silver or gold |
| vigilante | a group of people who take the law into their own hands |
| cow town | a town that grew up along the railroad tracks where cattle are shipped to eastern markets |
| ghost town | an abandoned miners’ town |
| boomtown | towns that would spring up in a matter of days when prospectors found gold or silver |
| longhorn | wild cattle that roamed the open range |
| Exoduster | former slaves who have opportunities on the plains |
| Comstock Lode | one of the biggest finds in mining of a rich vein of silver ore |
| Fort Laramie Treaty | an agreement to pay Indians for land if whites could build roads and forts on the plains |
| Indian Removal Act | Indian Removal Act |
| Dawes Act | the goal of this act was to end tribal ownership of lands and enable Indians to live like white men by giving land to individual families to farm |
| Trail of Tears | eastern Cherokee Indians forced to leave Georgia and move west to Oklahoma |
| Homestead Act | an 1862 law that allowed a person to claim 160 acres of free land if they built a house and worked the land for 5 years |
| pathfinder | one who finds or makes a path or way, usually, through unexplored areas. |
| nationalism | loyalty to a nation and promotion of its interests above all others. |
| annex | to add or attach; especially to something larger; to add a territory. |
| destiny | something that is going to happen regardless of the obstacles that may be in the way |
| suffrage | the right to vote in a political election or the exercise of the right to vote. |
| locomotive | a self propelled engine; especially one that pulls or lushes railroad cars. |
| Conestoga Wagon | sturdy vehicle topped with white canvas that was used by pioneers to move west. |
| doctrine | something that is advocated or taught; teaching. |
| sectionalism | an intense, sometimes excessive, regard for local interests or concerns; loyalty to a region. |
| opportunity | a chance for an improved situation. |
| scarce | in short supply; insufficient amount of something. |
| pioneer | someone who explores or goes to an area to live in a place previously unexplored or uninhabited by many of his/her culture. |
| emigrant | a person who leaves a country or a region to live elsewhere. |
| mountain man | a frontiersman (pioneer) living in the wilderness; as in the Rocky Mountains. |
| subsidies | grants of land or money |
| transcontinental railroad | a railroad line that spans North America (United States). |
| transcontinental | spanning or crossing a continent. |
| manual labor | work done by hand |
| Seminole Wars | The Seminole Indians of Florida resisted the resettlement of their people and fought against the United States Army. |
| stampede | a wild rush of frightened animals. |
| racism | the belief that people of one race are superior to that of another. |
| round up | the act of driving or bringing cattle together. |
| adaptation | process of changing to meet new circumstances. |
| Manifest Destiny | the belief that the United States would expnad from the Atlantic to the Pacific. |
| impressment | the act of forcing American sailors into service for the British Navy. |
| cession | land or territory given from one country to another, especially after a war. (cede) |
| abolitionism | a policy or principle for ending slavery in the United States. (abolis, abolitionist, abolition) |
