My ABC Bookof

U.S. History

Delvecio Watson5th period5-13-11

Abolitionist- person who strongly favors doing away with slavery.

Adams, Samuel- the start of the sons of liberty and organized the Boston tea party.

Abstain- to not take part in some activity such as voting.

Blockade- cut off an area by means of troops or warships to stop supplies or people from coming in or going out: to close off the country ports.

Boycott- to refuse to buy items from a particular country.

Beecher, Catherine- thought that women should be educated for traditional roles in life and established Milwaukee college for women

Civil war- conflict between opposite groups of citizens of the same country. Cotton gin- machine

removed seeds from cotton fiber.

Clay, Henry- famous for the Missouri compromise.

Depression- a period of low economic activity and wide spread unemployed.

Drought- long time period without rain.

Dred Scott vs. Sanford – supreme court case to see if slaves were free when owners took them into free state.

Emancipate- free of slaves. Emigration- a person who leaves a country or region to live else where.

English bill of rights- a list of rights for their people.

Federalist- supporters of the constitution.

Fugitive- runaway or trying to runaway.

Franklin, Benjamin- he was in the American revolution and helped with the Declaration of Independence.

Global warming- a steady increase of average temperature.

Green back- a piece of U.S. paper first issued by the north during the civil war.

Garfield, James- 20th president

Holocaust- the name given to the mass slaughter of Jews and other groups by Nazis during world war II.

Human rights- rights regarded as belonging to all persons, such as freedom from unlawful imprisonment, torture, and execution.

Hamilton, Alexander- supported constitution and was the 1st secretary of state.

Impressments- forcing people into service, as in the navy.

Internet- a worldwide linking of the computer networks.

Inflation- a continues rise in price of goods and services.

Judicial review- the right of the supreme court to determine if a law violates the constitution.

Joint occupation- the possession and setting of an area shared by two or more countries.

Jackson, Andrew- 7th president

Kennedy, John F.- 35th president

Keller, Helen- overcame an illness as a child that left her blind, deaf, and mute.

King, Martin Luther, Jr.- Held a boycott for African Americans to stay off of the buses after Rosa Parks had been arrested, and gave his famous “I have a dream” speech.

Landslide- an overwhelming victory.

Literacy- the ability to read and write.

Lincoln, Abraham- known as honest Abe , was the 16th president, and held the civil war.

Mission- religious settlement.

Migration- a movement of a large number of people into a new home land.

Monroe, James- wrote the Monroe Doctrine and was the 5th president.

Nullify- to cancel or make ineffective.

Neutral- taking no sides in the conflict.

Napoleon- sold U.S. the Louisiana Territory.

Olive Branch Petition- assured the king of the colonist desire for peace. Offensive- position of attacking or the

attack itself.

Override- to overturn or defeat as a bill proposed in congress.

Privateer- armed private ship.

Plantation- a large estate run by an owner or manager and farmed by laborers who lived there.

Penn, William- belonged to a group called quakers.

Quakers- believed that every individual had an inner light that could guide him/her to salvation. Quebec, Battle of- British won

against France in the French and Indian war.

Quartering of troops- housing soldiers.

Revival- a series of meetings conducted by a preacher to arouse religious emotion.

Repeal- to cancel an act or law.

Revere, Paul- led the sons of libety.

Suffrage- the right to vote.

Smuggling- trading illegally with other nations.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher- wrote a book called “Uncle Tom`s Cabin. ”

Tariff- a tax on imports or exports.

Tribute- money paid for protection.

Thoreau, Henry Davis- he went to jail for standing up for his beliefs, refused to pay a dollar to vote not wanting the money to support war.

Unalienable rights- a right that can not be surrendered.

Underground Railroad- a system that helped enslaved African Americans follow a network of escape routes out of the South to freedom in the North.

Uncle Tom`s Cabin- a book about how cruel slavery was and haw slaves were treated.

Veto- to reject a bill and prevent it from becoming a law.

Vigilantes- people who take the law into their own hands.

Van Buren, Martin- was the 8th president.

War Hawks- republicans during Madison`s presidency who pressed war with Britain.

Writ of Assistance- legal document that enabled officers to search homes and warehouses for goods that might be smuggled.

Washington, George- 1st president made British surrender at the Battle of Yorktown.

XYZ affair- referring to 3 French agents.

Yankee- Union soldier.

Yellow Journalism- a type of sensational, biased, and often false reporting.

Yorktown, Virginia- British surrendered to the 13 colonies.

Zenger, John Peter- was charged for libel printing a critical report about the royal governor of New York

Zuni, the- people from the South, they took part in sophisticated trade that extended from Southwest to Mexico.