 | Term | Definition |
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persecuted |
treated badly and unfairly, usually because of religion, politics , or race |
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bicameral legislature |
A law making body made of two houses (bi means 2). Example: Congress (our legislature) is made of two house - The House of Representatives and The Senate. |
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Enlightenment |
a movement in the 18th century that advocated the use of reason in the reappraisal of accepted ideas and social institutions |
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boycott |
a group's refusal to have commercial dealings with some organization in protest against its policies |
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guerilla warfare |
military strategy in which an army does not engage the enemy head on |
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popular vote |
the general public's vote that is cast during the general election |
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natural rights |
rights that belong to people "by nature" that is, simply because they are human beings 35 |
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republic |
a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them |
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suffrage |
The right to vote, often used in connection with extending the franchise to women |
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ratification |
the process through which a proposal is formally approved and adopted by vote |
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habeas corpus |
the right of an accused person to be brought before a judge and informed of the charges and evidence against him or her |
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tariff |
tax, duty or fee that must be paid on exported goods, making them more expensive |
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interstate commerce |
Trade between two or more states. |
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compromise |
to settle a disagreement by having each side give up something; to expose to the possibility of criticisim or shame |
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equal representations |
a method of voting by which political parties are given legislative representation in proportion to their popular vote |
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proportional representation |
An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote. |
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enumerated powers |
The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution. |
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necessary and proper clause |
constitutional authorization for Congress to make any law required to carry out its powers |
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impeach |
t. verb; to make an accusation against; to charge a public official with improper conduct in office before a proper tribunal; to challenge the validity of; try to discredit |
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supremacy clause |
constitutional declaration (Article VI) that the Constitution and laws made under its provisions are the greatest law of the land |
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pardon |
the formal act of liberating someone |
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treason |
violation of allegiance toward one's country or sovereign, especially the betrayal of one's country by waging war against it or by consciously and purposely acting to aid its enemies |
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confederation |
the act of forming an alliance or confederation |
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sovereignty |
the supreme and absolute authority within territorial boundaries |
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federalism |
a system in which power is divided between the national and state governments |
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legislative branch |
the branch of the United States government that has the power of legislating |
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executive branch |
the branch of the United States government that is responsible for carrying out the laws |
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judicial branch |
the branch of the United States government responsible for the administration of justice |
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checks and balances |
A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power |
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separation of powers |
the division of a central government into 2 or more branches, each having its own responsibilities and authorities |
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preamble |
a preliminary introduction to a statute or constitution (usually explaining its purpose) |
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census |
An official numbering of the people of a country or district. |
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veto |
the power or right to prohibit or reject a proposed or intended act (especially the power of a chief executive to reject a bill passed by the legislature) |
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inauguration |
the act of starting a new operation or practice |
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Bill of Rights |
a statement of fundamental rights and privileges (especially the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution) |
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First Amendment |
freedom of speech |
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petition |
a formal message requesting something that is submitted to an authority |
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establishment clause |
Clause in the First Amendment that says the government may not establish an official religion. |
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Second Amendment |
the right to bear arms |
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Third Amendment |
no troops can enter or stay at a citizens house unless during war |
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Fourth Amendment |
Protects Americans against unreasonable searches and seizures. No soldier, Gov agent, or police can search your home without a search warrant. |
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search warrant |
a court order authorizing a search |
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Fifth Amendment |
right to a: grand jury; grand crime; can't witness against yourself; process of law; eminet domain |
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due process |
guarantee of a fair and proper trial |
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double jeopardy |
Once a person has been tried for a crime, he or she cannot be tried again for the same crime |
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eminent domain |
the right of the state to take private property for public use |
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Sixth Amendment |
speedy and public trial where witnesses are able to be called and questioned |
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Seventh Amendment |
the right to a civil trial, right to trial by jury |
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jury trial |
made of two types (grand/accusing jury and petty/trial jury) --peers compose the jury and determine the fate of the accused |
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Eighth Amendment |
court cannot make a bail so big that the defendant can't pay it |
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Nineteenth Amendment |
amendment to the constitution giving women the right to vote |
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precedent |
an example that is used to justify similar occurrences at a later time |
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cabinet |
persons appointed by a head of state to head executive departments of government and act as official advisers |
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Judiciary Act |
1789 law that set up the design of the United States Court System |
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national debt |
the debt of the national government (as distinguished from the debts of individuals and businesses and political subdivisions) |
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protective tariff |
A tax on an imported product instituted to protect local industries |
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bond |
a certificate of debt (usually interest-bearing or discounted) that is issued by a government or corporation in order to raise money |
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Capital Compromise |
compromise of the location of where the will be capital |
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strict construction |
belief that the goavernment should not do anything that the constitution does not specifically say it can do |
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loose construction |
belief that the government can do anything that the constitution does not prohibit |
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nullification |
the states'-rights doctrine that a state can refuse to recognize or to enforce a federal law passed by the United States Congress |
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spoils system |
the system of employing and promoting civil servants who are friends and supporters of the group in power |
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judiciary review |
This is a precedent that says that the Supreme court can decide whether or not laws are constitutional or unconstitutional |
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assimilation |
the social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another |
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states' rights |
Theory that said that states had right to judge when the federal government had passed an unconstitutional law |
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cotton belt |
A region stretching from South Carolina to east Texas where most of U.S. cotton was grown during the mid-1800's |
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Clermont |
Fulton's steamboat in 1807 which powered on a newly designed engine. It took 32 hours to go 150 miles from New York to Albany. |
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telegraph |
was invented by Samuel Morse to comunicate faster using the Morse code |
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cotton gin |
a machine that separates the seeds from cotton |
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Tredegar Iron Works |
a historic iron foundry in Richmond, Virginia, United States of America. |
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Conestoga wagon |
sturdy vehicle with white canvasses used by the pioneers to move west |
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empresarios |
agents who brought settlers to Texas hired by the Mexican government |
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annex |
to add to something ex. the annexation of texas |
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abolition |
movement to outlaw slavery |
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liberator |
antislavery newspaper published by William Lloyd Garrison |
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sectionalism |
loyalty to one's own region of the country, rather than to the nation as a whole |
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popular sovereignty |
The concept that political power rests with the people who can create, alter, and abolish government. People express themselves through voting and free participation in government |
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martyr |
one who voluntarily suffers death as the penalty for refusing to renounce their religion |
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secede |
separate from the union |
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cotton diplomacy |
The Confederacy talked of embargoing cotton exports in order to bring the British to their side. This was a failure. |
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border states |
The states that were in the South, but did not join the Confederacy |
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blockade |
The shutting up of a town, a frontier, or a line of coast by hostile forces. |
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hardtack |
very hard unsalted biscuit or bread |
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dysentery |
an infection of the intestines marked by severe diarrhea |
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cavalry |
troops trained to fight on horseback |
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artillery |
an army unit that uses guns, cannons, ect. |
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infantry |
an army unit consisting of soldiers who fight on foot |
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total war |
The channeling of a nation’s entire resources into a war effort. |
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conscription |
The forcing of people to join the army |
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enlistment |
signing up for the military |
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manifest destiny |
the United States should stretch from "sea to shining sea" |
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charter |
legal document giving certain rights to a person or company |
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Freedman's Bureau |
provided food, medical care, administer justice, manage abandoned and confiscated property, regulate labor, and establish schools. |
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black codes |
Southern laws designed to restrict the rights of the newly freed black slaves |
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Jim Crow Laws |
Laws designed to enforce segregation of blacks from whites |
