Word Definition

advocate

(verb)

to show support for something

agricultural

(adverb)

type of economy based on farming (money is made by farming)

alliance

(noun)

group of countries that work together with a common goal

amendment

(noun)

a change to the Constitution

annex (verb)

to add territory to one's own territory

Anti-Semitism

(noun)

hostility (hatred) toward or the discrimination of Jewish people

appeasement

(verb)

accepting demands in order to avoid conflict

Aryan-Supremacy

(noun)

the belief that blonde haired, blue eyed, full blooded German people were the supreme (best) race and that all others were inferior

assembly line

(noun)

a way to produce goods/products with machines and workers at an assigned task over and over again

assimilate

(verb)

to absorb a group into the culture of a larger population (example: American Indians were forced to assimilate into "white" culture)

black codes

(noun)

laws passed in the South after the Civil War aimed at controlling freedmen and enabling plantation owners to exploit African American workers

blitzkrieg

(noun)

name given to the sudden, violent offensive attacks the Germans used during WWII; "lightning war"

blockade (verb)

to use the navy to cut off a place from trade

bootlegger

(noun)

person who made, sold or transported alcohol illegally during Prohibition

boycott

(verb)

an act in which many people refuse to do something, usually to cause economic ($) problems

capitalism

(noun)

an economic system based on private property and free enterprise (people have control)

carpetbaggers

(noun)

Northerners who went to the South after the Civil War to gain money and political power; also supported Reconstruction policies

civil rights

(noun)

the rights that the Constitution entitles all people to as citizens, especially equal treatment under the law

Cold War

(noun)

a struggle over political differences where there is no actual fighting between the countries

communism

(noun)

an economic system based on the idea that farms and businesses should be owned in common by the workers who do the labor (government has control)

consumer goods

(noun)

product intended for personal use by consumers, such as cars or refrigerators

containment

(noun)

the United States' plan to stop the spread of communism throughout the world (Cold War Era)

corollary

(noun)

an addition to a document

default (noun)

the failure to meet an obligation, especially a financial one (failing to pay for something like a house or a car)

demographics

(noun)

data collected about a population (ex. age, gender, race, ethnicity, education)

depression

(noun)

a period of low economic activity and widespread unemployment

desegregate (verb)

to include different racial groups into a community

dictator

(noun)

a leader who rules with total authority, often in a cruel or brutal manner

diplomacy

(noun)

the relationship between countries

domination

(noun)

the Soviet Union's plan to spread communism throughout the world (Cold War Era)

Domino Theory

(noun)

the belief that if one nation in Asia fell to the communists, neighboring countries would follow

dry farming

(noun)

way of farming where seeds are planted deep into the ground where there is some moisture

economic (adjective)

relating to the economy of a country (how does the country make money?)

ethnic groups

(noun)

a minority that speaks a different language or has different customs than the majority of a population

fascism

(noun)

a political system, led by a dictator, which calls for extreme nationalism and racism and no tolerance of opposition

Federal Reserve

(noun)

the government's bank

financial resources

(noun)

money available to invest in a business

foreign policy

(noun)

guidelines for how a country handles political (government) and economic (money) interactions with other countries

franchise (noun)

a type of store, restaurant or other business that is run with specific rules (example: McDonald’s)

freedmen

(noun)

African Americans who had been set free from slavery

Freedman’s

Bureau (noun)

A government organization created to help former slaves after the Civil War

Freedom Riders

(noun)

group of African American and white college students who rode buses through southern states to challenge segregation laws

genocide

(noun)

the deliberate (on purpose) destruction of a racial, political or cultural group

globalization

(noun)

linking countries through trade, information, technologies and communication

Holocaust

(noun)

the name given to the mass slaughter of Jews and other groups by the Nazis during WWII

homestead

(noun)

to acquire (receive) a piece of U.S. public land by living and cultivating (farming) it

Hoovervilles

(noun)

shantytowns or slums that developed during the Great Depression; nicknamed after President Hoover.

immigrant

(noun)

a person who moves from one country to live in another

imperialism

(noun)

policy (idea) that allows stronger countries to take political and/or economic control over smaller, weaker countries

industrial

(adverb)

type of economy based on factories (money is made with factory work)

industrialization

(noun)

the growth of businesses

integrate

(verb)

the process of including people of different racial groups throughout society

internment camps (noun)

the detention centers where Japanese Americans were moved and confined to during WWII

interstate highway

(noun)

highways that run through many states

“Iron Curtain” (noun)

the political and military barrier that isolated Soviet controlled countries of Eastern Europe after WWII

island hopping

(verb)

a strategy used during WWII that called for attacking and capturing certain key islands and using these islands as bases to leapfrog to others

isolationism

(noun)

a national policy (idea) of avoiding involvement in world problems

Jim Crow laws

(noun)

laws enforcing segregation of blacks and whites in the South after the Civil War

kamikaze

(noun)

during WWII, a Japanese suicide pilot whose mission was to crash into his target

labor-saving

(adjective)

a device designed to reduce the amount off work needed to complete a certain task (for example: washing machine, dishwasher)

Lend-Lease

(noun)

the act passed during WWII allowing the U.S. to sell, lend, or lease arms or other war supplies to any nation fighting the Axis Powers

liberate

(verb)

to set people free

mass media

(noun)

types of communication that reach large numbers of people, such as newspapers, radio, TV

mass produce

(verb)

producing large quantities (amounts) of goods by using machines and the assembly line

mechanize

(verb)

to use machines

migrant worker

(noun)

a person who moves from place to place to find work harvesting fruits and vegetables

migration

(verb)

a movement of a large number of people into a new homeland

militarism

(noun)

the political idea of building up the nation's military

monopoly

(noun)

total control of an industry by 1 person or 1 company

national market

(noun)

market created when natural resources and other products are bought and transported from cities and states across the continent

nationalism

(noun)

pride in your country

natural resource

(noun)

useful materials found in nature, including water, vegetation, animals and minerals

New Deal

(noun)

name given to the new laws aimed at relieving the Great Depression

noncontiguous

(noun)

not connected (ex. Hawaii and Alaska)

on margin

(verb)

to buy a stock by paying for only a fraction of the price and borrowing the rest

ore

(noun)

a mineral mined for the valuable substance it contains, such as silver

outsource

(verb)

to obtain goods and services from outside sources (other countries)

over-speculate

(verb)

to spend too much money and/or to take risks on something (like stocks)

pandemic

(noun)

an infectious disease that is spreading through populations around the world

passive resistance

(noun)

another name for non-violent protests used during the Civil Rights Movement

political (adjective)

relating to the government of a country

political corruption

(noun)

dishonest acts committed by people working for the government (federal, state, local levels)

political machine

(noun)

an organization linked to a political party that often controlled local government

political region

(noun)

a way of grouping places using their political boundaries

primary sources

(noun)

types of sources that give first -hand accounts of events (ex. - photograph)

Prohibition

(noun)

a time period in U.S. history when the government put a ban on the production, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages

propaganda

(noun)

information used to influence a person's opinions, thoughts or actions

prosperous

(adjective)

financially ($) successful

ratify (verb)

to give official approval of a law, amendment, or treaty

ration (noun)

to give out scarce (hard to find) items on a limited basis

reconcile

(verb)

to reestablish (recreate) friendly relationships (example: between the North and South after the Civil War)

Reconstruction

(noun)

the period after the Civil War when the federal government ruled the Southern states in order to rebuild them and allow them back into the Union

reformer

(noun)

a person who works to reform (change) something

reform (verb)

to make changes (political, economic, and/or social changes)

Renaissance

(noun)

a period of intellectual and artistic creativity

reparations

(noun)

repayment for damages caused by war

repeal (verb)

to take away a law or amendment

reservation

(noun)

an area of public land that is set aside for American Indians

rural

(adjective)

area characterized by farming or countryside communities

secondary sources

(noun)

types of sources that give second hand accounts of events (ex. - textbook)

segregate

(verb)

the process of separating people of different racial groups

settlement house

(noun)

institution (building) located in a poor neighborhood that provided numerous community services such as medical care, child care, libraries, and classes in English

sharecropping

(verb)

system of farming in which a farmer works land for an owner who provides equipment and seeds and receives a share of the crop

sit-in (noun)

a form of peaceful protest in which people occupied seats in a segregated facility

slums (ghettos)

(noun)

poor, crowded, rundown urban neighborhoods

social

(adjective)

relating to a country’s society (people)

sodbuster

(noun)

nickname given to a Great Plains farmer

speakeasy

(noun)

illegal clubs where people went to drink alcohol during Prohibition

stock (noun)

shares (pieces) of ownership a company sells in its business

strike (verb)

to stop working by workers to force an employer to meet demands

suburb

(noun)

residential area built outside major cities as a result of improvement in transportation

suffrage

(noun)

the right to vote

sweatshop

(noun)

a factory where workers work long hours at low wages under unhealthy conditions

tariff (noun)

a tax on imported goods

telecommunication

(noun)

the use of electronic systems to communicate over far distances (ex. the Internet)

temperance

(noun)

the use of little or no alcoholic drinks; a movement that led to Prohibition

tenement

(noun)

a building in which several families rent rooms or apartments, often with little sanitation or safety

transcontinental

(noun)

across the continent

unconstitutional

(adjective)

to go against what the Constitution says

union (noun)

labor organizations that work together to fight for better working conditions, better pay, etc.

urban

(adjective)

area characterized by city communities

urbanization

(noun)

the growth of cities

vocational

(adjective)

type of school that focuses on certain trades (jobs)

yellow journalism

(adjective)

type of writing which exaggerates events to attract a reader's attention

Important Constitutional Amendments

13th

(1865)

Abolished slavery and involuntary servitude (indentured servants)

14th

(1868)

Granted citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the U.S., and ensures equal protection under the law for all citizens

15th

(1870)

Granted all males the right to vote

18th

(1919)

Prohibition began

19th

(1920)

Granted women the right to vote

21st

(1933)

Repealed Prohibition