Early American History Flashcards

Flashcards for Early American History

Colony

An area/land that is controlled by a different country or government

Colonists

The people who live in a colony

Revolution

A big change, sometimes done through war

Independence

Freedom

Debt

Owing money to someone

Boycott

Refusing to buy or sell with a specific person or country

Patriots

Colonists who were loyal to America and wanted to be their own country

Loyalists

Colonists who were loyal to the King and wanted to stay a part of England

Grievance

A complaint; something you are unhappy with or about

Treaty

An agreement or a contract between two countries, usually at the end of a war

Articles of Confederation

The USA’s first plan of government which was weak, failed, and eventually replaced

Constitution

The plan of government the USA still uses today

Rebellion

A revolt or fight against something

Convention

A meeting, usually political

Compromise

An agreement where both sides must sacrifice something

Executive

The decision making part of government (President)

Legislative

The law make part of government (Congress)

Judicial

The part of government that makes sure people follow the rules (Courts)

Amendment

An addition or change

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the Constitution which summarize the rights and freedoms citizens have

Expansion

Extending the nation beyond its existing borders

Manifest Destiny

The belief that it was America's right and duty to spread West

Pioneer

A person who is among the first to explore or settle a new area

Trail

A road or path you travel on to get somewhere

Incentive

Something that motivates or pushes a person to do something

Acquire

To get something, usually something with special value or meaning

Native Americans

The original, ancient inhabitants of the American continents

Assimilation

The process of one group of people being absorbed into another group's culture, by choice or by force

Reservation

Area of land where Native Americans were forced to live when the USA took their homelands

Trail of Tears

The forced removal of Native Americans from their homelands

Antebellum

The period directly before the Civil War in the USA (mid-1800s)

Abolitionist

A person who is actively fighting to end slavery

Agricultural

Related to farming; a society whose economy depends on farming

Industrial Revolution

A major change in economy and culture brought about by the use of technology and machines to do work that used to be done by hand

Textile Mill

Factories mainly concerned with manufacturing fabric and clothing. Typically employed women

Underground Railroad

Secret paths and safe houses enslaved people used to escape the south

Civil War

A war between two sides in the same country

Secede

To break away from your country and create a new country

Confederacy

The government & army of the Southern states that left to form their own country

Union

The government & army of the Northern states that stayed united

Border States

Slave states that did not leave the Union and supported the Confederacy

Emancipation Proclamation

The document Abraham Lincoln wrote to free the slaves in the South

Reconstruction

The period after the Civil War when southern states were added back to the USA

Jim Crow Laws

Laws written to separate blacks and whites in public areas that led to black people being treated unequally