Passwords Social Studies Vocabulary United States History: Beginnings to the Present
To the Student What is a monopoly? What is the difference between an import and an export? What does an abolitionist believe? Passwords: Social Studies Vocabulary will help you learn the words you need to do well in Social Studies. Each lesson in this book is about a different topic in United States history. Every lesson focuses on ten words that will help you understand the topic. The lessons include a reading selection that uses all ten vocabulary words. Four practice activities follow the reading selection. Using each vocabulary word many times will help you remember the word and its meaning. A writing activity ends the lesson. You will use the vocabulary words you have learned to write an eyewitness account, a narrative, an informational article, or a description. If you need help with a vocabulary word as you do the activities, use the Glossary at the back of the book. The Glossary defines each word and shows you the correct way to pronounce the word. It also has pictures to help you understand the meaning of difficult words. As you work on the lessons, you may learn other new words besides the vocabulary words. Keep track of those other words in My Social Studies Vocabulary on pages 94 98. Turn to pages 99 and 100 to learn about roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Find out how they can help you understand new words. ISBN 978-0-7609-4492-9 2008 Curriculum Associates, Inc. North Billerica, MA 01862 No part of this book may be reproduced by any means without written permission from the publisher. All Rights Reserved. Printed in USA. 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Table of Contents Lesson 1: The First Americans........................ 4 Lesson 2: European Explorers....................... 10 Lesson 3: The 13 Colonies.......................... 16 Lesson 4: The War for Independence................... 22 Lesson 5: The New Nation and the Constitution........... 28 Lesson 6: Settling the West......................... 34 Lesson 7: The Road to War......................... 40 Lesson 8: The Civil War and Reconstruction.............. 46 Lesson 9: Cities and Industry........................ 52 Lesson 10: Becoming a World Power.................... 58 Lesson 11: World War I............................ 64 Lesson 12: The Roaring 20s and the Great Depression........ 70 Lesson 13: World War II............................ 76 Lesson 14: The United States After World War II............ 82 Lesson 15: Modern Times.......................... 88 My Social Studies Vocabulary.......................... 94 Root Words..................................... 99 Prefixes and Suffixes.............................. 100 Glossary...................................... 101
LESSON 5 confederation compromise representative democracy rights How would you create a new form of government, one that no other country had? Read this selection to find out how the United States government was created. The New Nation and the Constitution The Articles of Confederation The revolution was over. It was time to set up a government for the United States. In 1781, the Articles of Confederation set up the new government. A confederation is a group of independent states that work together. The first national government was weak. It had no leader or president. There were no courts to rule over all the states. Writing the Constitution In May 1787, the Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia. A convention is a meeting for a particular purpose. States with many people thought they should have more power. States with fewer people wanted equal power. A compromise was made. In a compromise, each side gives up something to reach an agreement. The Great Compromise Plan A The legislature has two houses. The number of representatives is based on population. Plan B The legislature has one house. Each state has the same number of representatives. The legislature has two houses. In one house, the number of representatives is based on state population. In the other house, each state has the same number of representatives. 28 The New Nation and the Constitution
In the Great Compromise, the legislature, the branch of government that makes laws, has two parts. Each part is called a house. In one house, the number of representatives is based on the number of people in the state. In the other house, each state has the same number of representatives. A representative is a person chosen to act or speak for others. The Constitution Becomes Law The Constitutional Convention created the United States Constitution. A constitution is a legal paper that describes how a government works. The Constitution outlined a system of government run by the people who live under it. It is known as a democracy. In 1788, people voted to ratify the Constitution, or make it into law. The next year, George Washington was elected as the first President of the United States. George Washington was the leader of the Constitutional Convention. The Bill of Rights Soon, it became clear that the Constitution had a flaw. It did not protect people s basic rights. Rights are freedoms owed to the people. Rights include freedom to say or write what one thinks. Freedom of religion is also a right. A fair trial is a right too. Ten amendments were added to the Constitution. Each amendment, or change, protects our rights. These ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. My Social Studies Vocabulary Go to page 95 to list other words you have learned about the new nation and the Constitution. The New Nation and the Constitution 29
confederation compromise representative democracy rights A. Fill in the blanks with the correct vocabulary word. 1. a change 2. a legal paper that describes how a government works 3. a group of independent states working together 4. an agreement in which each side gets part of what it wants 5. personal freedoms that people say are owed to them 6. a meeting that has a purpose 7. to make something into law 8. a branch of government with the power to make laws 9. a person chosen to act or speak for others 10. a form of government that gets its power from the people 30 The New Nation and the Constitution
confederation compromise representative democracy rights B. Choose and write the two words that best complete each sentence. amendment legislature confederation rights 1. If you want to know all of your, you must read the that describes each of them. constitution confederation legislature democracy 2. A may create a to make a country s laws. compromise constitution confederation convention 3. A unites people at a meeting place, but a is a group united in spirit. ratify representative compromise legislature 4. If there had not been a to consider all states concerns, people might not have wanted to the Constitution. representative confederation compromise democracy 5. People choose someone to be their as part of a system of government called a. WORD ROOT The word democracy comes from the Greek word demokratia, which means rule of the people. The New Nation and the Constitution 31
confederation compromise representative democracy rights C. Choose the correct vocabulary word to complete each sentence. 1. A should speak out for the people he or she represents. 2. Our created the central government for our country. 3. If Congress likes a law, they will vote to it. 4. In a, everybody gets part of what they want. 5. Most states also have a with two houses. 6. The Bill of Rights gave people they would not have had in Great Britain. 7. When the Constitution needs to be changed, an is added. 8. The first government of the United States was a of states. 9. In a, everyone has a voice in how the government is run. 10. Men from each state met at a to create a new plan for governing the United States. 32 The New Nation and the Constitution
confederation compromise representative democracy rights D. Use each word in a sentence that shows you understand the meaning of each word. 1. amendment 2. compromise 3. confederation 4. constitution 5. convention 6. representative 7. democracy 8. legislature 9. ratify 10. rights Write! Write your response to the prompt on a separate sheet of paper. Use as many vocabulary words as you can in your writing. Describe the problems that the United States faced in creating a democracy. The New Nation and the Constitution 33