Civics Chapter 2 Vocabulary

enlightenment

European intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition

monarch

a sovereign head of state

legislature

the legislature body of a country or state

precedent

an event that is regarded as an example to similar circumstances

common law

law that is derived from a custom precedent rather than statues

natural rights

rights that people supposedly have under natural law

social contract

agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits, for example by sacrificing some individual freedom for state protection

colony

a country or area under the full or partial political control of another country, typically a distant one, and occupied by settlers from that country

joint-stock company

a company whose stock is owned jointly by the shareholders

charter

written grant by a country’s legislative or sovereign power, by which an institution such as a company, college, or city is created and its rights and privileges defined

compact

to agreements among states or between nations on matters in which they have a common concern

document

a piece of written, printed, or electronic matter that provides information or evidence of that serves as an official record

authority

the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience

grant

agree to give or allow to

proprietary colony

which the owner, or proprietor own the land controlled by the government

royal colony

owned and ruled directly by the king

religious dissenters

those who followed a faith other than the official religion or England, the anglican religion

Puritans

wanted to reform or purify the anglican church

Pilgrims

people on a religious journey

toleration

acceptance of other religions

indentured servant

poor people who came to the colonies

plantation

large estate

triangular trade

pattern of trade that developed among the Americas, Africa, and Europe

acquire

buy or obtain

decade

period of ten years

Tidewater

areas of low flat plains near the seacoast of Virginia and North Carolina

Egalitarianism

the philosophy of spirit and equality

adapt

to adjust or become adjusted to a situation or condition

assist

to help or aid

mercantilism

the theory that a country should sell more goods to other countries than it buys

boycott

the refusal to purchase certain goods

repeal

to cancel a law

delegate

a representative meeting

independence

self-reliance and freedom from outside control

challenge

a demand for justification or a dispute

restore

to bring back into existence or put back in an original condition