WH Vocab Part 1

Authoritarian

favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, especially that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom.

Capitalist

an economic system where private individuals own and control the means of production.

Citizen

a legally recognized member of a political community, like a city-state or nation, who has certain rights and responsibilities within that entity, typically including the right to participate in political affairs, and is entitled to the protection of the governing laws.

Democratic

is a system of government in which state power is vested in the people or the general population of a state.

Imperialism

a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force.

Industrial

a period of significant economic and social transformation where societies transitioned from agrarian economies to ones dominated by machine manufacturing and factory production.

Nation

a group of people who share a common identity, such as a history, culture, language, or ethnicity.

Liberal

the belief in freedom, equality, democracy and human rights.

Nation-state

a political unit where a group of people share a common identity and govern a specific territory.

Revolution

an effort to transform the political institutions and the justifications for political authority in society, accompanied by formal or informal mass mobilization and noninstitutionalized actions that undermine authorities.

Collapse

the breakdown of a society, government, or system.

Empire

a nation that controls many territories and is ruled by a single authority figure.

Independent

the state of being free of the control of some other person, country, or entity.

Liberty

the freedom of individuals to live without oppressive restrictions on their behavior, political views, and way of life.

Sovereignty

the idea that a nation or governing body has the power to govern itself and make its own laws within its borders.

Individualism

a political and social philosophy that emphasizes the intrinsic worth of the individual, placing a high value on personal freedom, self-reliance, and the idea that individual interests should take precedence over the interests of a group or the state.

Nationalism

an ideology that emphasizes loyalty, devotion, or allegiance to a nation or nation-state and holds that such obligations outweigh other individual or group interests.

Common

something shared by a large group of people across different regions or societies, signifying a widespread trend, belief, practice, or experience that transcends cultural boundaries, essentially meaning something that is prevalent or 'ordinary' among many different populations.

Community

a group of people with common interests, backgrounds, or purposes.

Ideology

a set of interconnected beliefs, values, and ideas that shape how individuals and groups understand the world and their place within it.

Self-determination

the right of a group of people to choose their government and political destiny.

Natural law

an ethical theory that claims that humans are born with a certain moral compass that guides behaviors.

Right

legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement.

The Enlightenment

an intellectual movement that occurred primarily in 18th century Europe, where thinkers emphasized the use of reason, logic, and scientific inquiry to understand the world, questioning traditional religious authority and advocating for individual liberty, progress, and social reform, often referred to as the 'Age of Reason.'

The Scientific Revolution

a period of drastic change in scientific thought that took place during the 16th and 17th centuries (Newton, Copernicus, Galileo).

Cabinet

a group of advisors to a head of state, or a group of people who rule a country.

Homogenous

a group of people or things that are similar or have a common characteristic.

Samurai

a member of a powerful military caste in feudal Japan, especially a member of the class of military retainers of the daimyos.

Autonomy

the idea of self-governance, or the ability to make decisions independently

Legitimate

the belief that a ruler or rule is rightful

Personal sovereignty

the concept that an individual has the ultimate authority over their own life, body, and decisions

Abolitionist

someone who worked to end slavery and free enslaved people

Commerce

the exchange of goods and services for something of value, such as money or other goods.

Intellectual

a person who thinks critically and reflects on ideas

Legacy

something that's passed down from one time period to another. It can be an idea, a cultural practice, or the impact of an event or person.

Parliament

a group of people who make laws for a country

Rational

the philosophical idea that reason and logic are the primary sources of knowledge

Holdings

the territories, lands, or colonies that a country or power possesses and controls

Ideal

a standard of excellence, a model for imitation, or a value that is pursued as a goal

Philosopher

a person who offers views or theories on profound questions in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and other related fields.

Regime

a system of government that defines how a country is run, including who has power and how citizens are treated

Constitutional monarchy

a system of government where a monarch (king or queen) holds power that is limited and defined by a written constitution

Estate

social class, property, and a representative assembly

Faction

a group of people who are united within a larger group, often for a political cause

Feudalism

a system of political and social organization in medieval Europe where land ownership was the basis for power

Insurrection

an organized and usually violent act of revolt or rebellion against an established government

natural right

a fundamental human right that is considered inherent to all individuals by their existence, not granted by any government or society, and therefore cannot be taken away

Plantation

large property or landholding dependent on the labor of enslaved people

Representative government

a system where citizens elect officials to represent their interests and make decisions on their behalf

Entrepreneurial

the act of starting a business or economic venture, and the people who do so

Factory

a large-scale manufacturing facility that uses machinery to produce goods

Fossil fuel

coal, petroleum, natural gas, oil shales, bitumens, tar sands, and heavy oils

Imperialism

the ruling policy of establishing and enforcing the rule of a nation on outside peoples or countries

Meritocracy

a social system where people are rewarded based on their talents and achievements, rather than their social class or wealth.

Patent

a government-granted right to make, use, or sell an invention for a set period.

Textile

flexible materials made from interlaced fibers, such as cotton or wool

Cod

fish

Demographic

the statistical characteristics of human populations, such as age, gender, and occupation

Fleet

a group of ships or vehicles that are under one command or ownership

Middle class

a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status.

Port

vital centers for trade, transportation, and cultural exchange

Tinkerer

a person who fixes things, especially household items. The term can also refer to a person who invents or experiments with new ideas.

Degrading

treatment that humiliates or demeans a person or group.

Dismal

means 'bad days'. It was originally used to describe certain days of the month that were considered unlucky.

Exploitation

the act of taking advantage of a person or group for personal gain.

Financier

one who specializes in raising and expending public money.

Lucrative

profitable or moneymaking

Smelt

to melt ores to extract the metals they contain

Industrialization

the process of transforming the economy of a nation or region from a focus on agriculture to a reliance on manufacturing

Locomotion

the movement, or the ability to move, from place to place

Railroad

a system of tracks and vehicles that transport people and goods.

Standardize

to bring into conformity with a standard especially to assure consistency and regularity

Technology

the application of scientific knowledge and techniques to create tools, methods, and processes that solve human problems