L to J Vocabulary for United States & North Carolina History Abolition - The abolishing (complete doing away with) of slavery Agrarian Society - a society that is dependent on agriculture/farming as its main source of financial support Amendment - A change in a bill, law or the constitution Anti-Federalist - an opponent of the proposed United States Constitution of 1787 Anti-Semitism - The act of being prejudiced against and persecuting Jews Appeasement - The policy of making deals with possible enemies to keep peace Arsenal - A weapons depot Artifact - An object that gives a clue to the culture it came from Backcountry - the area of thinly populated settlements from the fall line to the Appalachian Mountains Barter System - the exchange of goods and services for things people need Bill of Rights - The first 10 amendments to the Constitution that guarantee the basic rights of citizenship Blitzkrieg - A swift sudden military attack using air and land forces; German for lightening war Blockade - The blocking of a port by warships or other vessels Blockade Runner - a vessel that attempts to run in and out of a blockaded port in order to transport goods, such as food and arms, into a blockaded city. Boycott - The refusal to buy certain items Capitalism - the economic system in which all or most of the means of production and distribution is privately owned and operated for a profit Carpetbagger - A term of insult applied to a Northerner who went South after the Civil War to make a profit from the Reconstruction Cash crop - A crop raised to sale rather than for home use Charter - a legal document that gives permission to explore, settle, and govern land Checks and Balances - The system in which each branch of government can limit the powers of the other branches Civil Rights - The rights that are guaranteed to citizens by the Constitution Clan - a group of related people Coastal Plain - The broad, flat region in NC that extends 100-150 miles inland Colony - A group of settlements far from, but ruled by a mother country Colonization - the act of creating settlements and controlling an area by a mother country 1
Columbian Exchange - The movement of plants, animals, diseases, and other living things between the New World and the Old World Communism - A political system in which the people (in theory) own all the land,factories, and businesses, and the economic power rest with the people. Compromise - an agreement in which each side gives up something it wants in order to gain something else Concentration Camp - A heavily guarded camp in which political prisoners are held by force Confederacy - the nation, separated from the United States, from 1861-1865 that contained eleven southern states: known as the Confederate States of America Congress - The lawmaking branch of the government: made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate Conquistador - a Spanish conqueror Conservative - Favoring traditional views and values; tending to oppose change; believe in personal responsibility, limited government, free markets, individual liberty, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. Constitution - A written plan of government Consumer Goods - Products made for the use of the average person, rather than for industries Containment - A policy aimed at stopping the spread of communism Culture - a people s way of life. It includes the kind of tools people make, the Food they eat, and the language they speak. Cultural Diffusion - combining of ideas, inventions, foods, customs, etc. of one culture to another culture Democracy - government by the people: usually through representation Depression - a period marked by widespread unemployment, decline in business activity, falling prices and wages Discrimination - Treating some people differently from others because of their race, beliefs, or heritage. Domestic - of one s own country: within a country or relating to a country (ex:us Domestic Affairs) Domino Theory - view that countries can influence other countries into communism Draft - A system in which people are required to serve in the military Economy - The way a group of people produce goods and services- (making money) Economic Goods - a product or service that can command a price when sold; also referred to as goods. 2
Economic Service - a type of economic activity that is intangible (unable to be touched or grasped), is not stored, and does not result in ownership. A service is consumed (used) at the point of sale. Electoral College - a group of representatives selected by each state to cast the The vote for President based on the state s popular vote Emancipation - to free someone from slavery Emigration - to leave one s country or region to settle in another Equality - the state or instance of being equal: being treated the same Executive Branch - division of the government empowered and required to administer the laws and affairs of the nation; President, Vice President and the cabinet are included in this branch of government Fascism - a political system headed by a strong dictator with a strong central government- where the state is more important than the individual Federal - relating to the central, or national, government. Federal System - a government where power is divided between a national and state governments Federalist - a person that supported the new United States Constitution of 1787 Foreign - outside of one s own country, province, or locality Framers - one of the individuals who helped write the US Constitution Genocide - the systematic, planned killing of a racial, political, or cultural group Geographic Region - a large area of land with similar features Governor - the elected head of any state in the United States Gross Domestic Product - the total market value of all the goods and services produced by a nation in a specific time period. Guerrilla Warfare - The use of surprise attacks by small bands of fighters Holocaust - A huge and terrible destruction of human life, such as the mass destruction of European Jews and other people by Nazi Germany in WWII Immigration - the movement of people from other countries and regions into A new country to live Impeach - to charge a public official with a wrongdoing or crime Imperialism - the policy or practice of seeking to dominate the economic or political affairs of an undeveloped or weaker country Impressment - the act of seizing (taking) for public use or of pressuring into public service. Incumbent - a person that currently holds an office Indentured Servant - a person who worked without pay for a specified number of years in return for passage to the New World, clothing, food and shelter 3
Inflation - An increase in the price of goods and services and a decrease in the value of money Isolationism - a policy of staying out of the affairs of other nations; a policy of not making agreements with or working with other nations. Judicial Branch - the division of government whose job is to administrate (carry out) justice: made up of the Supreme Court and the lower courts Labor Union - an organization of workers that tries to help its members receive higher wages and better working conditions Laissez Faire - the policy of allowing the owners of industries and business fix the rules of competition and the conditions of labor Legislation - a law or set of laws made by the government. Legislative Branch - The lawmaking branch of government made up of both houses of Congress Liberal - Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress and not opposed to change; believes government should be active in supporting social and political change Loyalist - A colonist which sided with the British during the American Revolution Manifest Destiny - 19 th century doctrine or belief in the inevitable territorial expansion of the United States from coast to coast Mayor - the elected head official of a city, town or borough McCarthyism - policy or practice of publicly accusing suspected individuals of political disloyalty and subversion Migration - to move from one country or region to another Militia - Volunteer soldiers Minuteman - an ordinary citizen of the colonies who was armed and ready to fight in a minute s notice Mission - A settlement in which people of one religion teach their faith to others Monopoly - the complete control of an industry by one person or company NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Nation - a larger area of land controlled by its own government Nationalism - the feeling of devotion and loyalty to one s own country Naval Stores - Products from pine trees, such as pitch and tar used in shipbuilding Neutrality - not taking sides during a conflict New Deal - program by Franklin D Roosevelt intended to end the Great Depression 4
Nullification - to cause something to lose its value and have not effect (nullify) ; the action of a state attempting to prevent the operation and enforcement of a law of the United States. Oral History - Stories passed down from generation to generation Patriot - A colonist who wanted and fought for their independence from England Piedmont - at the base of the mountains Plantation - A large farm on which crops are grown for sale; Slavery was the main source of labor. Political Party -engaged in or taking sides in politics Popular Sovereignty - a system in which the people vote to decide an issue President - someone elected to preside over an organized group or country: the Chief Executive of a country Privateer - A private trading ship armed and commissioned for battle Progressive - Working for political or social reforms Prohibition - A ban on the sale and manufacture of alcoholic beverages Propaganda - stories and/or images to support a certain point of view Racism - A belief that people of one race are superior of those of another Ratify - To formally approve Rationing - The distribution of a fixed amount of items that are in short supply Recession - an extended decline in general business(buying and selling) for two quarters in a row: usually includes high unemployment and a decline in the Gross National Product (GNP) Reconstruction - period following the Civil War during which the South was placed under military control Referendum - A process by which the people vote directly on a proposed legislation Refugee - A person who flees a country out of fear of being persecuted or killed for his or her political beliefs Republic - a country ruled by elected representatives (Legislative branch - House of Representatives & Senate) and by an elected leader (such as a President) rather than by a king or queen (monarch); any government that is not ruled by a king or queen and in which power rest with the people Republicanism - Support for representative government known as a republic Revolution - A great change Rural - relating to the country or farming Scalawag - name given to white Southerners who supported Reconstruction for personal gain; mean fellows Secede - To withdraw from a nation: secession 5
Sectionalism - a tendency to be more concerned with with the interests of your particular group or region than with the problems or interests of the larger group, country, other nations, etc. Segregation - to separate, such as by race Separation of Powers - division of government sharing the power and responsibilities- keeping one branch from becoming too powerful Sharecropping - A system of farming in which a farmer rented land and provided labor in return for a share of the crop or for part of the income from the crop Slavery - forced labor: the buying and selling of human beings to receive free labor Society - people thought of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions, and values. Sovereignty - a country s independent authority and the right to govern itself Standard of Living - a level of material comfort measured by the goods, services, and luxuries available to an individual or nation State s Rights - the rights belonging to the states; referring to all rights not delegated to the Federal government by the Constitution therefore belong to the states. Strike - A stoppage of work by employees in an effort to gain better working conditions or pay Suburb - A residential area on the outskirts of a city Suffrage - The right to vote Tariff - tax on imported goods Tax - a fee levied by the government on goods, services, transactions or income for the purpose of creating revenue (income) for the state/nation Terrorism - The use, or threatened use, of violence for the purpose of intimidating or causing fear for political or social purposes Transcontinental Railroad - a railroad that connects the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the country Treason - The betrayal of one s country Triangular Trade - refers to trade during the eighteenth century and nineteenth century that involved shipping goods from Britain to West Africa to be exchanged for slaves, the slaves being shipped to the West Indes and exchanged for sugar, rum, and other goods, which were in turn shipped back to Britain or its New World colonies. Tyranny - The unjust use of power 6
Unalienable Rights - basic human rights; such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; God given rights Union - refers to the Northern states during the Civil War which remained a part of the United States Union of States - refers to collective group of states in the United States Urban - relating or referring to a city Urbanization - The movement of people from rural areas to the city Unemployment - the percentage of people who involuntarily do not have a job Veto - to reject or refuse to sign a bill War bond - A low-interest loan made by citizens to the government to support the cost of war 7