| A | B |
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| Amendment | A change, alteration, revision; made to correct, modify, improve a document |
| Checks and Balances | A system created so that no branch of government can have too much power over the other two branches |
| Compromise | A settlement between sides; each side does not get exactly what they want, but gets enough so both sides can agree on the terms |
| Confederacy | A political union of people, groups, states, nations that remain independent,but support each other for a common cause |
| Conflagration | A large, destructive fire |
| Democracy | A government where the people vote for their representative; majority vote rules |
| Doctrine | A set of beliefs, principals of behavior taught and followed |
| Due Process | A set of established legal procedures, done to protect the rights of the individual; to keep things fair and equal |
| Electoral College | The people selected in each state to represent the majority voters. Their responsibility is to cast the vote for the canditate in a presidential election who won the majority of the vote in their state |
| Epiphany | An intense, complete understanding of something that can change how a person views the world. A sudden, incredible realization |
| Ex Post Facto | A law is made, then someone is punished for breaking the law. But the person being punished did the action before the law was made making the action illegal |
| Federalism | A form of cooperative government where the power is divided between a strong national government and state governments who still maintain independent powers |
| Filibuster | A political strategy used in Congress: speaking to the other congresspeople for the sole purpose of consuming time in an attempt to delay or prevent legislative action by the majority members who intend to vote on an issue in a particular way |
| Fugitive Slave Clause | A very controversial part of a law passed in 1850: this clause stated that anyone attempting to help a runaway slave, in any way, will be punished |
| Habeas Corpus | A Latin term meaning "you should have the body", used in a court of law to mean that the accuser/prosecuter should have physical evidence to justify the imprisonment of a suspect. You can't have just someone's word. This rule helps to ensure that due process has been observed |
| Imperialism | "empire building", where one country tries to control many areas of the world through colonization, or military control over another society outside of the natural boundaries of that governing country |
| Impressment | The policy of seizing people or property for public service or use; forcing someone to be your servant against their will. Sometimes used to forcibly enroll recruits for military duty |
| Industrial Revolution | A time in history when mechanical power accelerated the making of products, and takes over for the handmade method of producing stuff |
| Jim Crow Laws | Laws that were made in the southern states after the civil war. Made for the purpose of discriminating against the african american population, giving them less rights and more restrictions on what they can do |
| Manifest Destiny | In the 19th century, when the U.S. was expanding westward, it was the belief that it was inevitable the country would own all the land between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; because it was the will of the Lord |
