APUSH Summer Terms

Abolitionist

A person who sought to abolish slavery during the 19th century

Anarchy

The absence of government or political authority, often associated with chaos and lawlessness

A form of society without rulers

Appeasement

The policy of making concessions to an aggressive power in order to avoid conflict

ex. The British and French to Nazi Germany in the 1930s to attempt to avoid war.

Appropriation

Passage of a spending bill by Congress that designates the amount of authorized funds that will actually be allocated to a government agency for its use

or: the act of setting aside funds by Congress for specific government programs and agencies. 

Belligerent

A nation or group actively engaged in warfare or conflict

Blockade

The act of actively preventing the movement of ships and goods into or out of a port or region, typically during wartime

ex. a blockade was used during the war of 1812, Civil War, and Revolutionary war.

Boycott

A form of protest where individuals or groups collectively refuse to buy, use, or participate in something, often as a way to express disapproval or exert pressure for change

Conscription

The compulsory enrollment of individuals into military service, commonly known as the draft

Conservative

A political ideology that emphasizes tradition, individual liberty, and limited government intervention, often prioritizing established institutions and social structures.

A political ideology that emphasizes the preservation of traditional institutions, customs, and values. 

Coup d'Etat

A sudden, forceful, and often illegal seizure of power from a government, usually by a small group, often the military

Democracy

A system of government where the power resides with the people. This power can be exercised either directly by the people or through elected representatives. 

Desegregation

The process of ending the separation of people based on race, particularly in public institutions like schools and other public accommodations

Opposite of segregation

Despot

A ruler with absolute power and authority, often wielding it in a tyrannical or oppressive manner

Synonyms: tyrant, dictator, totalitarian, autocrat

Duty

A customs tax on imported or exported goods

Embargo

A government order that restricts or prohibits trade with another country or countries

ex. Embargo Act of 1807, which prohibited American ships from trading in foreign ports

Exports

Goods and services produced domestically but sold to foreign countries

note: exports are shipped out of the country, imports are brought into the country

Federalism

A system of government where power is divided between a national (federal) government and smaller regional (state) governments

A system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government

Imperialism

The policy of extending a nation's power and influence over other territories, often through colonization or economic and political dominance

Imports

Goods and services that a country buys from other countries

note: exports are shipped out of the country, imports are brought into the country

Impressment

The British practice of forcibly conscripting, or impressing, American sailors into the Royal Navy

Inflation

A general increase in the price level of goods and services in the economy, which effectively decreases the purchasing power of money

Injunction

A court order that either compels someone to perform a specific action or prohibits them from taking a specific action

Insurgent

A person or group who engages in armed rebellion against an established government or authority.

revolutionaries or freedom fighters

Integration

The process of ending racial segregation and bringing people of different races together

This can involve both vertical (controlling all aspects of a business) and horizontal (merging with or acquiring competitors to control a market). 

Isolationism

A foreign policy that advocates for a nation's non-involvement in the political, economic, and military affairs of other countries, particularly avoiding alliances and interventions in foreign conflicts

Staying out of international affairs and focusing on domestic issues. 

Laissez-Faire

An economic philosophy that advocates for minimal government intervention in the economy

Liberal

A political ideology that emphasizes individual rights, limited government, and free markets, often associated with the principles of classical liberalism.

Greater individual freedom and less government intervention,

Mandate

An official order or command, often from a higher authority (like the federal government) to a lower one (like a state or local government), requiring specific actions or compliance

ex. in 2020, people were required from the government to wear masks

Mercantilism

An economic policy where a nation aims to increase its wealth and power by accumulating gold and silver through a favorable balance of trade, meaning exporting more than it imports

Monarchy

A form of government where a single person, the monarch (usually a king or queen), holds supreme authority and typically inherits their position through heredity

Monopoly

The exclusive control of a product or service by a single company or entity, eliminating competition and allowing the monopolist to dictate prices and production

Nullify

The constitutional theory that individual states have the right to invalidate federal laws they deem unconstitutional

Patronage

a system in which benefits, including jobs, money, or protection are granted in exchange for political support.

Precedent

An earlier event or action that serves as an example or rule for subsequent situations

Propaganda

Communication aimed at influencing public opinion to support a particular cause, often by selectively presenting information or using emotional appeals

ex. Hitler and the nazis during WW2

Ratify

The formal approval of a document, typically a constitution or treaty, by a state or other relevant body

To make a law official

Recession

A significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, and is visible in various indicators like production, employment, and income

Referendum

a form of direct democracy where citizens vote directly on a specific issue or proposed law. 

Reparations

The concept of making amends for past wrongs, particularly those related to slavery and its lasting consequences

Secession

The formal withdrawal of eleven Southern states from the United States of America in 1860 and 1861

Sectionalism

The political, economic, and social loyalty to one's own region of the country, rather than to the nation as a whole

Sedition

Actions or speech that incite rebellion against the government or undermine its authority

Segregation

The systematic separation of people into racial or other groups, often based on discriminatory laws and practices

Sovereignty

The supreme, absolute, and uncontrollable power by which an independent state is governed

Spoils

A practice where political parties reward their supporters with government jobs and contracts after winning an election.

Suffrage

The right to vote

Tariff

A tax or duty imposed on imported goods, typically by a government to raise revenue or protect domestic industries

Tenement

A rundown, overcrowded apartment building, often found in urban areas, that typically housed poor factory workers and new immigrants during the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Treaty

A formal, legally binding agreement between two or more sovereign states, typically nations

Veto

The power of the President to reject a bill passed by Congress, preventing it from becoming law