VOCABULARY
8TH U.S. HISTORY
EXPLORATION
• Absolute chronology
• Relative chronology
• Exploration
• Trade
• Resource
ABSOLUTE CHRONOLOGY
Events that happen on a specific date
ABSOLUTE CHRONOLOGY
Forms:
N/A
Example:
• The scientists were able to identify
the absolute chronology of the item
through carbon dating it.
Question to Ponder:
• Would a graph illustrating the severity
of earthquakes in a given year illustrate
“absolute chronology?”
RELATIVE CHRONOLOGY
Events that happen on during a specific period of time
RELATIVE CHRONOLOGY
Forms:
N/A
Example:
• The archaeologists used the soil
samples to identify the relative
chronology of the artifacts.
Question to Ponder:
• Would the rings on a tree help a
botanist identify its “relative
chronology?”
EXPLORATION
Having traveled to new territories for adventure or discovery
EXPLORATION
Forms:
• Explore
• Explores
• Exploring
• Explored
• Explorer
Example:
• The sailors arrived on the beach,
eager to explore their new
surroundings.
Question to Ponder:
• Would an “explorer” need to
discover a territory that has already
been mapped?
TRADE
Purchasing or selling things
TRADE
Forms:
• Trades
• Trader
Example:
• I traded my phone for a pencil in
Mrs. Fisher’s class.
• Trading
• Traded
Question to Ponder:
• Would I “trade” something if I
‘borrowed’ it without asking?
RESOURCE
Something that a country can use to increase its wealth
RESOURCE
Forms:
• Resources
• Resourced
• Resourcing
Example:
• One of the greatest later twentieth
century resources in the world was
oil.
Question to Ponder:
• Would a hurricane be considered a
“resource” for a country?
EARLY COLONIZATION
• Colony
• Persecution
• Political
• Economic
• Social
COLONY
Group of people who migrate to and settle in new lands
COLONY
Forms:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Colonies
Colonial
Colonist
Colonize
Colonized
Colonizing
Colonization
Example:
• English citizens came to the New
World to establish a colony.
Question to Ponder:
• Would a person who sets up a tent
in his/her backyard be establishing a
“colony?”
PERSECUTION
Treating someone cruelly or unfairly due to ethnicity or personal
beliefs
PERSECUTION
Forms:
• Persecuting
• Persecuted
• Persecutor
Example:
• Some colonists came to the New
World because of religious
persecution in their own country.
Question to Ponder:
• Could a person be “persecuted” if
he/she was dressed differently than
other people?
POLITICAL
Pertaining to the government
POLITICAL
Forms:
• Politics
• Politician
Example:
• The political world in the U.S. is
focused on the presidential election.
Question to Ponder:
• Would student representatives be
considered part of a “political”
organization?
ECONOMIC
Pertaining to money
ECONOMIC
Forms:
• Economy
• Economies
Example:
• The economy is doing better than it
was in 2008.
Question to Ponder:
• Would opening a successful
business help someone’s economic
standing?
SOCIAL
Pertaining to society
SOCIAL
Forms:
• Society
• Societies
Example:
• As a diverse country, we have many
different social traditions.
Question to Ponder:
• Would holidays be considered part
of someone’s “social” culture?
FIRST COLONIES
• Missionary
• Burgess
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Criteria
MISSIONARY
Person sent to another place to spread their religious beliefs to
natives
MISSIONARY
Forms:
• Missionaries
• Missioner
Example:
• Spanish explorers sent missionaries
to convert the inhabitants of Central
America.
Question to Ponder:
• If a person convinced someone else to
believe his/her religious beliefs, would
he/she be considered a “missionary?”
BURGESS
Representative in colonial government
BURGESS
Forms:
• Burgesses
Example:
• The colonial burgess established
new laws for the colony.
Question to Ponder:
• Would a king and queen need to
create a “burgess“ In order to run
their country?
ANALYZE
Carefully studying something
ANALYZE
Forms:
• Analyzes
• Analyzing
Example:
• The scientist analyzed the blood
sample for any abnormalities.
• Analyzed
• Analyzer
Question to Ponder:
• Would I have successfully
“analyzed” a puzzle if I could not
identify the big picture?
EVALUATE
Carefully judging something’s worth
EVALUATE
Forms:
• Evaluates
• Evaluating
Example:
• The student’s work was evaluated
by the teacher.
• Evaluated
• Evaluation
Question to Ponder:
• Would a person need to “evaluate”
the situation in order to determine
how to act accordingly?
CRITERIA
Something used as a reason for making a judgment or decision
CRITERIA
Forms:
• Criterions
• Criterion
Example:
• The club had few criteria required
for membership.
Question to Ponder:
• Should a student check the
assignment’s “criteria” before
handing it in to the teacher?
SOUTHERN COLONIES
• Primary Source
• Secondary Source
• Slavery
• Cash Crop
• Agriculture
PRIMARY SOURCE
Information recorded at the time of the event
PRIMARY SOURCE
Forms:
• Primary sources
Example:
• The primary source letter from the
colonial leader helped the student
understand the burgess.
Question to Ponder:
• Would a picture taken at last week’s
football game be considered a
“primary source?”
SECONDARY SOURCE
Information derived from primary sources
SECONDARY SOURCE
Forms:
• Secondary sources
Example:
• The teacher used the textbook as a
secondary source for students to
understand history.
Question to Ponder:
• Would the text you sent to your friend
about the game she was unable to
attend be considered a “secondary
source?”
SLAVERY
The practice of keeping a person as property and forcing them to
serve another person
SLAVERY
Forms:
• Slave
• Slaves
• Enslaved
Example:
• The Atlantic slave trade began after
the Portuguese explored the African
coastline.
Question to Ponder:
• Would a parent requiring a child to
do their chores be an example of
“slavery?”
CASH CROP
Crops that are grown to be sold for a profit
CASH CROP
Forms:
• Cash crops
Example:
• Early southern colonists planted
tobacco as a staple cash crop.
Question to Ponder:
• If I grew wheat and kept it to mill
into flour, and then sell the flour,
would I have a “cash crop?”
AGRICULTURE
Farming or ranching
AGRICULTURE
Forms:
• Agricultures
• Agricultural
Example:
• I learned about the basics of crop
production in agriculture class.
• Agriculturally
• Agriculturalist
Question to Ponder:
• Would I be considered an
“agriculturalist” if I raised chickens
and cows?
SOUTHERN COLONIES II
• Tolerance
• Debt
• Population
• Protestant
• Roman Catholic
TOLERANCE
Fair attitude for a person’s different beliefs
TOLERANCE
Forms:
• Tolerate
• Tolerates
Example:
• People are more tolerant today
than in past generations.
• Tolerant
Question to Ponder:
• If a person judged others because
they acted differently, would this
person be considered “tolerant?”
DEBT
Amount of money that is owed to someone else
DEBT
Forms:
• Debts
• Debtor
• Debtors
• Indebted
Example:
• Indentured servants owed a debt to
the people who brought them over
to the New World from England.
Question to Ponder:
• Would I owe a “debt” if I borrowed
someone’s notes from when I was
absent?
POPULATION
Number of people who live in a place
POPULATION
Forms:
• Populations
• Populated
• Populates
• Populating
Example:
• The southern population of the
colonies increased after the
introduction of tobacco to the New
World.
Question to Ponder:
• Would birth rates and death rates
contribute to “population” totals?
PROTESTANT
Christian believer who is not a member of the Roman Catholic or
Eastern Orthodox Church
PROTESTANT
Forms:
• Protestants
Example:
• There are many protestant religions
in the world.
Question to Ponder:
• If I follow the teachings of the Pope,
am I considered a “protestant?”
ROMAN CATHOLIC
Christian believer belonging to the church that is led by the Pope in
Rome
ROMAN CATHOLIC
Forms:
• Roman Catholics
• Roman Catholicism
Example:
• Many families in Mexico are Roman
Catholic because the Spanish
explorers were primarily Catholic.
Question to Ponder:
• If I belonged to the Greek Orthodox
Church, am I a “Roman Catholic?”
NEW ENGLAND COLONIES
• Representative government
• Migration
• Theocracy
• Mercantilism
• Contract
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
Government where citizens vote representatives into political office
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
Forms:
N/A
Example:
• Every four years, citizens of the U.S.
vote for members in our
representative government.
Question to Ponder:
• If every citizen votes for every law, is
this an example of “representative
government?”
MIGRATION
To move from one place to another
MIGRATION
Forms:
• Migrate
• Migrates
Example:
• As colonies expanded, free colonists
migrated further west.
• Migrating
• Migrated
Question to Ponder:
• Do immigrants “migrate?”
THEOCRACY
Governmental system that combines religious and political jobs
THEOCRACY
Forms:
• Theocracies
• Theocratic
Example:
• Many New England colonial
assemblies had theocratic systems.
Question to Ponder:
• If a governor led a colonial
assembly, would they have a
“theocracy?”
MERCANTILISM
System of exporting raw materials to the mother country, who then
transforms the materials into goods for purchase
MERCANTILISM
Forms:
• Mercantile system
Example:
• England used mercantilism with its
colonies in order to amass wealth.
Question to Ponder:
• If the U.S. exported its raw materials to
other countries for consumption, would
it be considered “mercantilism?”
CONTRACT
Lawful agreement
CONTRACT
Forms:
• Contracts
Example:
• The colonists signed a contract to
ensure everyone knew the laws before
setting foot on Plymouth Rock.
Question to Ponder:
• Is a pinky promise considered a
“contract?”
COLONIAL LIFE
• Self-government
• Governor
• Cause
• Effect
• Categorize
SELF-GOVERNMENT
Governmental rule by the inhabitants of the nation
SELF-GOVERNMENT
Forms:
• Self-governed
• Self-governing
• Self-governance
Example:
• The Mayflower Compact was an
example of self-government in the
colonies.
Question to Ponder:
• Would a nation that rules another
country tar away be ruling by “selfgovernance?”
GOVERNOR
Person placed in charge of a society
GOVERNOR
Forms:
• Governors
• Governorship
Example:
• In a proprietary colony, a governor
was placed in charge of a colony’s
government.
Question to Ponder:
• Would a “governor” be in charge of
a school?
CAUSE
Something that produces an effect or result
CAUSE
Forms:
• Causes
• Caused
• Causing
• Causal
Example:
• Religious persecution was a cause
for many New England colonists’
migration to the New World.
Question to Ponder:
• Would watching my husband play video
games instead of doing my work be a
“cause” for why this question is stupid?
EFFECT
Result after something happens
EFFECT
Forms:
• Effects
• Effected
• Effecting
Example:
• The geography of the New World
effected the colonies’ economic
system.
Question to Ponder:
• Would being tired when you take a
test have an “effect” on your
success?
CATEGORIZE
Putting something into a group of similar characteristics
CATEGORIZE
Forms:
• Categorizes
• Categorizing
• Categorized
• Categorization
Example:
• GA, SC, NC, VA, and MD can be
categorized as southern colonies
because they share similar motivations
for coming to the New World.
Question to Ponder:
• Does the librarian have a
“categorized” system for how she
shelves her books?
COLONIAL CONFLICTS
• Territory
• Treaty
• Parliament
• Proclamation
• Tariff
TERRITORY
An area of land that is controlled by a government
TERRITORY
Forms:
• Territories
• Territorial
Example:
• Throughout the years, indentured
servants moved into western
territories inn the Appalachian Mts.
Question to Ponder:
• Would my backyard be considered a
“territory?”
TREATY
Official agreement made between two or more countries
TREATY
Forms:
• Treaties
Example:
• After the war was over, the
countries came to an agreement
and signed a treaty.
Question to Ponder:
• If my best friend and I have a fight,
would we need to sign a “treaty”
afterward?
PARLIAMENT
Great Britain’s legislative body that makes the laws
PARLIAMENT
Forms:
• Parliamentary
Example:
• Great Britain’s Parliament made
many of the laws that governed the
American colonists.
Question to Ponder:
• Does the U.S. have a
“parliamentary” government?
PROCLAMATION
Official or public statement
PROCLAMATION
Forms:
• Proclaim
• Proclaims
• Proclaimed
• Proclaiming
Example:
• The colonists reacted to the king’s
proclamation forbidding them to
colonize west.
Question to Ponder:
• If Mr. Hubbard did an all-call about
Homecoming events, would it be
considered a “proclamation?”
TARIFF
Taxes put on imports and exports
TARIFF
Forms:
• Tariffs
Example:
• Many of the colonists became angry
when tariffs on imports became
increasingly high.
Question to Ponder:
• If the U.S. received new cars from
Japan to sell to America, would we
need to pay a “tariff?”
ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE I
• Boycott
• Natural rights
• Petition
• Resolution
• Civil disobedience
BOYCOTT
Refusing to buy or use something in protest
BOYCOTT
Forms:
• Boycotts
• Boycotting
• Boycotted
Example:
• Many colonists boycotted British
goods after high taxes were placed
on their goods.
Question to Ponder:
• If I decided not to use an iPad
charger on my iPhone, have I
“boycotted” anything?
NATURAL RIGHT
Rights identified by natural laws
NATURAL RIGHT
Forms:
• Natural rights
Example:
• Many colonists supported Locke’s
idea of natural rights of life and
liberty.
Question to Ponder:
• Is dying my hair a different color
part of my “natural rights” as an
individual?
PETITION
Written document signed by many individuals for the purpose of
change
PETITION
Forms:
Example:
• Petitioning
• The colonials petitioned King
George III to stop implementing
taxes without consulting the
colonists.
• Petitioner
Question to Ponder:
• Petitions
• Petitioned
• If I signed a “petition,” would I be
saying that I do not approve of what
the petitioners want?
RESOLUTION
Formal opinion voted by an assembly
RESOLUTION
Forms:
• Resolutions
Example:
• The colonists passed a series of
resolutions that outlined their
displeasure at the king’s actions.
Question to Ponder:
• Would an newspaper editor’s
editorial article be considered a
“resolution?”
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
Refusal to obey laws as a way of forcing the government to do or
change something without the intent to injure
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE
Forms:
N/A
Example:
• Some of the colonists believed civil
disobedience was the next step in
getting their message to the king.
Question to Ponder:
• Would a sit-in be an example of
“civil disobedience?”
ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE II
• Diplomacy
• Militia
• Liberty
• Grievance
• Representation
DIPLOMACY
Work of maintaining good relations between the governments of
different countries
DIPLOMACY
Forms:
• Diplomat
• Diplomats
• Diplomatic
Example:
• The colonists tried to use diplomatic
methods to convince King George III
to change his policies.
Question to Ponder:
• If a person acted as a mediator
between two countries who were
engaged in a conflict with one another,
would that person be a “diplomat?”
LIBERTY
Freedom to act and speak freely
LIBERTY
Forms:
• Liberties
Example:
• After diplomacy failed, the colonists
rebelled against Great Britain to
achieve their liberty.
Question to Ponder:
• Does the first amendment protect
our civil “liberties?”
MILITIA
Civilians who are trained as soldiers
MILITIA
Forms:
• Militias
• Militiamen
Example:
• The American militia was trained by
the Marquis de Lafayette.
Question to Ponder:
• Would a “militia” receive a normal
paycheck like a soldier?
GRIEVANCE
Reason for complaints concerning an unfair situation
GRIEVANCE
Forms:
• Grievances
Example:
• The colonists felt their grievances
against their crown were warranted.
Question to Ponder:
• Would not getting the last cookie at
lunch be cause for a “grievance?”
REPRESENTATION
Individual or group that speaks or acts for another person or group
REPRESENTATION
Forms:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Represent
Represents
Representative
Representatives
Represented
Representing
Example:
• The Virginia House of Burgesses was
the first example of using
representatives in colonial
government.
Question to Ponder:
• Were colonists “represented” in
British government during the
1700s?