satellite nation
nation dominated by a more powerful nation
secede
withdraw from membership
sedition
act of causing rebellion against a government
segregation
separating people of different races in public places
self-determination
right of national groups to their own territory and forms of government
settlement house
a community center that offers services to the poor
sharecropper
person who farms land owned by someone else who is paid with a share of the crops
skilled worker
person who has learned a trade, such as carpentry
slave codes
laws that controlled the behavior of slaves and denied them basic rights
spinning jenny
machine that could spin several threads at once
spoils system
the practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs
standard of living
measurement of the quality of people's lives based on the amount of goods, services, and leisure time they have
states' rights
the right of states to limit the power of the federal government
stock
shares in a corporation
strike
a refusal of workers to work until owners of a business meet their demands
suburbs
communities outside cities
suffrage
the right to vote
suffragist
person who worked for women's right to vote
tariff
tax on goods coming into the country
telegraph
communication device that works by sending electrical signals along a wire
temperance movement
a campaign against alcohol
tenement
a building divided into small apartments with poor living conditions
tepee
tent made by stretching buffalo skins on tall poles
textile industry
business of manufacturing cloth
toleration
willingness to let others practice their religion freely
toll
money charged to use a road or bridge
totalitarian state
country in which a single party controls the government and every aspect of people's lives
total war
war in which troops destroy food and equipment useful to an enemy
town meeting
meeting at which New England colonists met to discuss issues and vote on them
trade deficit
difference that occurs when a nation buys more goods and services from foreign countries than it sells to them
trade union
organized group of skilled workers trying to improve pay and working conditions
transcontinental railroad
railroad that stretches across a continent from coast to coast
treaty
written agreement between nations
trust
groups of corporations run together as one large company
turnpike
toll road on which a pole, or "pike," was lifted after toll was paid
unconstitutional
not permitted by the Constitution
underground railroad
a network of abolitionists who secretly helped slaves escape to freedom
unemployment rate
number of people who are out of work
vaqueros
skilled riders who herded cattle in Mexico, California, and the Southwest
veto
reject
vigilante
person who decides to help keep law and order
yellow journalism
reporting designed to shock and attract readers