Militia

A group of vonteered soldiers

Minutemen

The name for a soldier who was ready to fight at a minutes notice.

Desert

To leave or abandon one's military duty

Inflation

A rapid raise in prices

Mercenary

A group of paid soldiers

Blockade

A barrier preventing the movement of troops and supplies

Patriot

A person who supported the USA

Loyalist

A person for who supported Great Britian

Petition

A formal request

Profiteering

The act of charging high prices during a war

Spy

A person who secretly watches people or events to get information

Articles of confederation

One of the first plans for the US government

Legislature

A person who has power to pass laws

Delegate

A person who represents others

Defend

To protect

Due process

The idea that the government must follow the rules/laws

Jury

Group of citizens who decide a court case

Amendment

Change or addition to the constitution

Ratify

To approve or adopt

Bill of Rights

A statement that lists the liberties guaranteed by the government and people

Checks and balances

The system that keeps one of the government branches from getting too much power

Fundamental

basic

Supreme Court

The highest court in the United States

Federalism

A system in which federal and state government share power

Gold Rush

The sudden rush of people to an area here gold has recently been discovered

Discrimination

Unfair treatment of people based on their differences

Cotton Gin

A machine that separates the cotton from its seeds

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The treaty under which Mexico sold its territory to the US

Manifest Destiny

The belief that the United States had right to expand its borders west to the Pacific Ocean and south to the Rio Grande

Wagon Train

A line of wagons led by an experienced guide

Trail of tears

The name given to the forced march of 15,000 Cherokee in 1838 from their homes in Georgia to the Indian Territory

Immigrant

A person who lives in a country in which he or she was not born in

Steam engine

A machine that uses steam from boiling water to create power

Reaper

A machine that cuts grain for harvesting

Stagecoach

Large carriege pulled by horese used to carry passengers

Previous

Coming before; earlier

Interchangable parts

Part of a machine or device that can be replaced by another identical part

Application

Way in which somthing is used

Union

Group of states or nations that are ruled by one government or agree to work together

Abolitionist

A person who wanted to end slavery

Debate

A discussion where each person defends his or her opinion on a topic

Sectionlism

Excessive regard for regoinal or local intrest

Missouri compromise

Agreement that allowed Missouri and Maine to enter the Union and divide the Lousiana Territory into areas allowing slavery and areas outlawing slavery

Treason

Betraying one's country

Slave state

State where slavery was allowed

Civil war

An armed conflict between groups within the same country

Popular soverinty

The belief that the government is subject to the will of the people

Free state

State where slavery is not allowed

Secede

Withdraw or breakaway from a nation or oraganization

Contribute

Give or supply

Assinsination

The murder of an important person

Malice

Desire to harm someone

Proposition

Intention or plan

Dedicated

Set apart for a special purpose

Consecrate

Set apart as holy

Score

Times twenty

Draft

The selction of persons for military duty to some or other special duty

Tradition

An inherited pr established way of doing something

Conceived

Formed

Emancipation prclamation

official announcement issued by president Abraham Lincoln in 1862 that led to the end of slavery

Anaconda Plan

The Union's army three step plan for defeating the Confederate army and ending the civil war

Total war

Attacking an enemy's soldiers, civilians, and property