COMPLETE GED SOCIAL STUDIES

Colonial America

The period of European colonization of North America from the early 1600s until the thirteen colonies became incorporated into the United States after the Revolutionary War.

English colonies

Settlements established by England in North America primarily for economic gain.

Northeast New England colonies

The colonies of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, known for their economic activities such as fishing, whaling, and shipbuilding. The region's climate was too cold for large-scale agriculture.

Middle colonies

The colonies of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, known for their milder climate and the production of wheat, grains, paper, textiles, and iron.

Southern colonies

The colonies of Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, characterized by their rich soil and reliance on cash crops such as cotton, rice, and tobacco.

Colony

An area occupied by settlers from another country and governed by that home country.

Exports

Goods produced within a country and sold to other countries.

Mercantilism

An economic system where a country aims to increase its wealth by producing and exporting more goods than it imports.

Indentured servants

Workers who signed contracts to work for a specific number of years in exchange for passage to the colonies or to pay off debts.

Transatlantic slave trade

A system of trade that forcibly transported millions of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the American colonies.

Port city

A city where ships dock to load or unload goods for transportation.

Plantation

An agricultural estate where large-scale farming was practiced, often relying on enslaved labor.

Cash crops

Crops grown primarily for sale and profit rather than for personal consumption by the producer.

American Revolution

The war fought by the American colonies to gain independence from Britain.

French and Indian War

A costly war fought by Britain against the French and their Indigenous allies, resulting in British control of land extending west to the Mississippi River.

Stamp Act

A law requiring North American colonists to pay taxes on all printed documents from England.

Boston Tea Party

An anti-British protest where colonists threw tea into the Boston Harbor in response to the Stamp Act.

Coercive Acts

A series of British acts that further restricted the colonists in response to the Boston Tea Party.

Continental Congress

An organization that represented the colonies and issued the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Declaration of Independence

A document that detailed England's abuse of power and rejected British rule over the colonies.

U.S. Constitution

A document establishing the structure and principles of the U.S. government.

Ratify

To sign approval or consent, making an agreement or contract valid.

Bill of Rights

The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing individual rights, liberties, and protections.

No taxation without representation

The principle underlying the American Revolution, rejecting government control without the participation of the people.

Tyranny

The unreasonable use of power by a ruling authority.

Protest

The act of expressing a strong objection or dissent.

Subject

A citizen or member of a state or ruling system.

Ally

A party that cooperates with another for military or other purposes.

Parliament

The legislative body of the British government.

French Revolution

A period of radical social and political upheaval in France from 1789 to 1799.

George Washington

The first president of the United States, elected after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

Seven Years War

Another name for the French and Indian War, a conflict fought between Britain and France from 1754 to 1763.

Benjamin Franklin

One of the representatives who helped draft the Declaration of Independence and secure French assistance during the Revolutionary War.

John Adams

One of the representatives who helped draft the Declaration of Independence and played a key role in the Revolutionary War.

Westward Expansion

The growth of the United States during the 19th century as settlers moved to the West, seeking new opportunities and land.

Manifest Destiny

The belief that it was the destiny of the United States to expand its territory across the continent, often justified as a divine mission to spread American values and civilization.

Louisiana Purchase

The acquisition of a vast territory from France in 1803, doubling the size of the United States and extending its borders from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains.

War of 1812

A conflict fought between the United States and Great Britain, primarily over issues of trade and impressment, and seen as a continuation of the American Revolution to secure complete independence from the British Empire.

Lewis & Clark Expedition

An expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, to explore and map the Northwestern lands acquired through the Louisiana Purchase.

Oregon Trail

A historic wagon trail that stretched over 2,000 miles, used by American pioneers in the mid-1800s to migrate to the West, particularly to Oregon and California, in search of fertile land and new opportunities.

Pony Express

A short-lived mail delivery service in the mid-1800s that used horseback riders to carry mail between Missouri and California, reducing delivery time significantly.

California Gold Rush

A mass migration of people to California in 1848 after gold was discovered there, leading to a rapid population growth and economic boom in the region.

Transcontinental Railroad

A continuous railroad network connecting the eastern and western cities of the United States, completed in 1869, which played a crucial role in facilitating trade, transportation, and the settlement of the West.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

Novel exposing the brutal treatment of enslaved people and advocating for abolition

Abolitionist

Activist fighting to end slavery

Bleeding Kansas

Years of violent conflict over the decision of whether Kansas should be a free or slave state

Supreme Court

Highest federal court responsible for ruling on the constitutionality of laws and acts

Dred Scott

Enslaved man who appealed to the Supreme Court for freedom but was denied

Presidential Election of 1860

Election of Abraham Lincoln, which led to the secession of 11 southern states from the Union

Secession

Act of withdrawing from a political body, such as the secession of southern states from the Union

Confederate States

Southern states that seceded from the Union at the start of the Civil War

Fort Sumter

Federal base in South Carolina where the first shots of the Civil War were fired

Freedmen

Formerly enslaved individuals who were recently freed

Emancipation Proclamation

Military order issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to free enslaved people in Confederate states

Progressive Era

A period in American history from the 1890s to the 1920s characterized by political reform and social activism aimed at improving conditions for a democratic society and combating corruption.

Tenement houses

Overcrowded and often poorly maintained urban housing units where American workers and immigrant laborers lived during the Progressive Era.

Hull House

A famous example of an urban housing situation during the Progressive Era, located in Chicago and founded by Jane Addams. It provided social and educational services to immigrants and the poor.

Labor unions

Organizations formed by workers to advocate for better working conditions, higher wages, and improved rights.

Muckrakers

Activist journalists who exposed corruption and social issues through investigative reporting during the Progressive Era.

Temperance movement

A social movement, predominantly led by women, that aimed to reduce or eliminate the consumption of alcohol.

Prohibition

The period in the United States (1920-1933) when the production, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages were prohibited by the 18th Amendment.

19th Amendment

An amendment to the United States Constitution ratified in 1920, granting women the right to vote (suffrage).

Sherman Antitrust Act

The first federal law passed in 1890 to prohibit monopolies and promote fair competition in business.

Federal Trade Commission Act

A law passed in 1914 that established the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to regulate and promote fair trade practices and protect consumers.

16th Amendment

An amendment to the United States Constitution ratified in 1913, which authorized the federal government to impose an income tax.

17th Amendment

An amendment to the United States Constitution ratified in 1913, which established the direct election of senators by the people.

Reconstruction

The period after the Civil War when Southern states and freedmen were being integrated into the United States.

10% Plan

Lincoln's plan that required 10 percent of voters in a Southern state to swear allegiance to the Union before it could be readmitted.

Oath of Allegiance

A pledge acknowledging one's duty and swearing loyalty.

Assassination

A politically motivated killing.

Freedmen's Bureau

A temporary organization for assisting formerly enslaved people and other poor or displaced individuals after the Civil War.

Black Codes

Laws passed in many Southern states to restrict formerly enslaved people and continue the labor practices of slavery.

Vagrancy

The act of loitering, wandering, or homelessness recognized as a criminal offense.

Penal Labor

Forcing people to work in prison or as punishment.

Sharecropping

A system where families rent land and pay the owner a share of their crops.

Veto

The rejection of a proposed law or decision.

13th Amendment

The amendment that abolished slavery, except as punishment.

14th Amendment

The amendment that extended citizenship to formerly enslaved people born in the United States and granted "equal protection under the law."

15th Amendment

The amendment that granted the right to vote to Black men.

Globalization

The spread of products, technology, information, and jobs across national borders and cultures, fostering interdependence among nations through free trade.

Free trade agreement

A pact between two or more nations aimed at reducing barriers to imports and exports, allowing goods and services to be bought and sold across international borders with minimal government restrictions.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

An agreement signed in 1992 among the United States, Canada, and Mexico, designed to eliminate tariff barriers between the three countries.

World Trade Organization

An international institution responsible for overseeing global trade rules among nations.

Multinational corporation

A company that owns or controls the production of goods or services in at least one country other than its home country.

G20 (Group of 20)

An international forum consisting of governments and central bank governors from 19 countries and the European Union, meeting annually to address global crises.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

A milestone document that sets out fundamental human rights to be universally protected, translated into over 500 languages.

Paris Climate Agreement

A global agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

World Wide Web

A system of information, including web pages linked to other networked related pages, files, source documents, definitions, and other web-based resources.

Internet

A global-wide area network that connects computer systems across the world.

Vietnam War

A military conflict (1954-1975) in which the United States supported South Vietnam against communist North Vietnamese fighters.

Guerrilla fighters

Individuals who engage in warfare usually in less organized groups using surprise tactics.

Vietcong

Communist guerrilla fighters of North Vietnam who fought against South Vietnam and United States forces in the Vietnam War.

Ho Chi Minh Trail

A military supply route that sent men, weapons, and other supplies from North Vietnam to South Vietnam during the war.

Tet Offensive

A coordinated series of attacks on South Vietnamese cities and towns that shocked the U.S. with its swift brutality.

Draft

Selection for mandatory military service by a lottery system.

26th Amendment

The amendment that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.

Vietnamization

U.S. policy of withdrawing troops and making South Vietnam more responsible for the Vietnam War.

Cease-fire

A pause in fighting, usually for negotiations to take place.

Paris Peace Accords

An agreement between North Vietnam, South Vietnam, and the United States to end the Vietnam War.

War Powers Act

A law passed after the Vietnam War to limit the President's power to declare war, requiring a Congressional vote.