Socials 9 vocab for exam

Workhouse

A British/Irish institution (17th-19th century) where those unable to support themselves were housed and made to work in exchange for food and shelter

Pauper

A very poor or destitute person who often depends on charity or public assistance

Industrialized

Refers to a society or economy that has undergone industrialization—transitioning from agriculture to mechanized manufacturing.

To exploit

To unfairly use something or someone for one's own benefit, often in economic or labor contexts.

Global warming

The long-term rise in Earth's average surface temperatures due to human emissions of greenhouse gases like CO₂, primarily from burning fossil fuels.

Capital

Wealth or assets (money, buildings, equipment) used to produce more wealth.

Raw materials

Natural, unprocessed resources (e.g., coal, iron ore, timber) used in manufacturing.

Commons

Shared resources (land, air, waterways) accessible to all members of a community.

Franchise

The right granted to an individual or group to market a company's goods/services or to vote in public elections (context‐dependent).

Synthetic

Made by humans through chemical/industrial processes, rather than occurring naturally.

Cast iron

A dense, brittle iron-carbon alloy used in industrial machinery, pipes, and cooking goods.

Market

A system or place where buyers and sellers exchange goods and services.

Toll

A fee charged for using a service or crossing a bridge/road.

Supply

The quantity of goods or services that producers are willing and able to sell at given prices.

Social reformers

Individuals who advocate for changes aimed at improving society (e.g., campaigning for better labor laws, public education, health reforms).

Labor unions

Organizations formed by workers to collectively negotiate for better wages, hours, and working conditions.

Charles Dickens

A 19th-century English novelist who depicted social conditions amid industrial change (e.g., Oliver Twist, Hard Times).

Jethro Tull

(1674-1741) English agricultural pioneer who invented a seed drill and promoted soil cultivation methods, fueling the British Agricultural Revolution

Charles "Turnip" Townshend

(1674-1738) British aristocrat credited with rotating turnips and other crops to rejuvenate soil and improve yields.

James Watt

(1736-1819) Scottish inventor who significantly improved the steam engine with innovations like the separate condenser and parallel motion, key to the First Industrial Revolution

First Industrial Revolution

Late 18th-early 19th century; marked by mechanized textile production, steam power (Watt's engine), and ironworks.

Second Industrial Revolution

Late 19th-early 20th century; characterized by mass production, electricity, steel, and chemical industries.

Third Industrial Revolution

Late 20th century; driven by electronics, computers, automation, and information technology.

Fourth Industrial Revolution (or Industry 4.0)

Today's landscape of cyber‑physical systems, IoT, AI, 3D printing, and big data merging digital, physical, and biological systems

Anthropocentric climate change

Climate shifts driven by human activities—like fossil fuel burning and deforestation—that increase atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations

Natural climate change

Climate fluctuations caused by natural processes (e.g., Milankovitch cycles, solar variation, volcanic activity, ocean currents) .

Colonization

Establishing settlements and control over indigenous lands and peoples.

Middle latitudes

Earth's temperate zones between the tropics and the polar circles (approx. 30-60° latitude).

Sagas

Old Norse/Icelandic narratives recounting early Viking voyages, settlement, and exploration.

Monopoly

Exclusive control over a market or trade, typically granted by authority to a single producer.

Letters patent

Legal documents issued by a monarch/government granting rights, titles, or privileges, including monopolies or founding colonies.

Stadacona

A 16ᵗʰ-century St. Lawrence Iroquoian village near present-day Québec City, encountered by Jacques Cartier; led to the early naming of "Canada"

Samuel de Champlain

French explorer (1567-1635) who founded Quebec City in 1608 and is hailed as "Father of New France."

Archipelago

A group or chain of islands.

Scurvy

Vitamin C deficiency disease, common among sailors on long sea voyages.

Immunity

The body's ability to resist infection, often through prior exposure or vaccination.

Intendant

A royal-appointed administrator in New France overseeing justice, finance, and public welfare.

James Wolfe

British general who led forces to conquer Quebec in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759).

Habitation

The original fortified settlement in Quebec built by Champlain in 1608.

Wampum

Beads made from shells by Indigenous peoples, used as currency and for ceremonial/regulatory diplomacy.

Missionary

A person sent to convert others to a religion, common in New France with Jesuits seeking to Christianize Indigenous peoples.

Acadians

French settlers in the Maritime region (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick); many were forcibly removed by the British in the mid‑18th century (the Great Expulsion).

Coureurs de bois

Independent French-Canadian fur traders who ventured into the woods to trade directly with Indigenous groups.

Charter

A formal legal document granting rights or establishing an institution, company, or colony.

Seigneuries

Large tracts of land in New France granted by the king, worked by tenant farmers under a feudal-like system.

Donnacona

Chief of Stadacona who interacted with Jacques Cartier and was taken to France.

Jesuits

Members of the Society of Jesus, active Catholic missionaries and educators in New France.

Mercantilism

It emphasizes a favorable balance of trade, often through government intervention to promote exports over imports.

Midwife

A trained assistant helping women in childbirth.

Militia

A local military force of civilians called to defend settlements.

Henry Hudson

Early 17ᵗʰ-century English navigator who explored the Hudson River and Bay in North America.

Amenities

Useful or pleasant features of a place or environment, such as parks, clean water, or public services.

To expel

To forcibly remove or eject someone from a territory or position.

Tuberculosis

A contagious infectious disease, common in the 19ᵗʰ century, primarily affecting the lungs.

L'Anse aux Meadows

Archeological Viking settlement site in Newfoundland dated around AD 1000—the earliest known European presence in North America.

Leif Erikson

Norse explorer believed to be the first European to reach North America (Vinland) around AD 1000.

Freydis Eriksdottir

Daughter of Erik the Red, companion to Leif in early Norse expeditions to Vinland.

John Cabot

Italian explorer sailing for England; reached the coast of Newfoundland in 1497.

Grand Banks

Rich fishing grounds off the coast of Newfoundland, historically significant for European fishing fleets.

Jacques Cartier

French explorer whose voyages in the 1530s led to France claiming parts of Canada.

Iroquois

A powerful confederation of northeast Indigenous nations in pre-colonial and colonial North America.

White Man's Burden

The belief that Europeans had a duty to civilize and Christianize non-European peoples, often used to justify imperialism.

East India Company

A powerful British trading company that controlled large parts of India and Southeast Asia for profit and influence.

Opium War

A mid-1800s conflict between Britain and China over Britain's trade of opium, which China opposed due to addiction and social damage.

Berlin Conference

An 1884 meeting where European nations divided Africa into colonies without involving any African leaders.

Jewel in the Crown

A term describing India's high value to the British Empire due to its wealth, resources, and strategic importance.

Sepoy

An Indian soldier who served in the British army during the colonial rule of India.

Boxer Rebellion

A 1899-1901 Chinese uprising aimed at ending foreign influence and Christian missionary activity in China.

Colony

A country or region governed directly by a foreign power. Example: India under British rule.

Protectorate

A region with its own government but controlled and protected by a foreign power. Example: Egypt under British protection.

Sphere of Influence

An area where a foreign power controls trade or investment but does not govern directly. Example: China divided by Britain, France, Germany, and others.