Nys Ss Test Vocabulary

Front 1

abolitionist

Back 1

a person who wants to abolish or end slavery

Front 2

amendment

Back 2

a change, or addition, to the constitution

Front 3

apprentice

Back 3

a young person who learns a skill from a more experienced person

Front 4

assemby

Back 4

a group of persons gathered to discuss things about the government

Front 5

Bill of Rights

Back 5

first ten amendments (or additions) to the constitution; this includes freedom of religion and freedom of speech

Front 6

border

Back 6

imaginary line that separates things like states and countries

Front 7

boycott

Back 7

when people refuse to buy goods or services (like riding the bus) to protest

Front 8

canal

Back 8

human-made waterway like the Erie Canal that connects Albany and Lake Erie

Front 9

census

Back 9

count of the population

Front 10

civilization

Back 10

a culture that has an organized government, religion, and learning

Front 11

civil rights

Back 11

rights guaranteed to all citizens by the constitution

Front 12

climate

Back 12

weather over a long period of time

Front 13

citizen

Back 13

a member of a community; we are citizens of the United States

Front 14

colony

Back 14

settlement far from the country that rules it

Front 15

compromise

Back 15

when two people or groups make an agreement to settle a disagreement

Front 16

Congress

Back 16

the legislative branch of our government; Congress makes the laws; the House of Representatives and the Senate

Front 17

constitution

Back 17

a written plan of government

Front 18

convention

Back 18

a meeting of people for a common purpose

Front 19

culture

Back 19

way of life of a group of people; this includes their language, religion, and customs

Front 20

Declaration of Independence

Back 20

document declaring the 13 American colonies independent from England; mainly written by Thomas Jefferson; adopted July 4, 1776

Front 21

delegate

Back 21

person chosen to represent others

Front 22

discrimination

Back 22

unfair treatment of a group or individual

Front 23

economy

Back 23

system for producing and distributing goods and services

Front 24

empire

Back 24

large group of lands and peoples ruled by one leader

Front 25

environment

Back 25

all things that surround us such as land, water, air, and plants

Front 26

equality

Back 26

the idea that all people are equal

Front 27

executive branch

Back 27

part of the government that carries out the laws; headed by the president

Front 28

expedition

Back 28

a journey made for a special purpose

Front 29

exports

Back 29

goods that one country sells to another country

Front 30

frontier

Back 30

the outer edge of a settled area

Front 31

governor

Back 31

the head of a state government

Front 32

harbor

Back 32

a part of a body of water that is protected and deep enough where ships are safe

Front 33

immigrant

Back 33

a person who leaves one country to go live in another country permanently

Front 34

imports

Back 34

goods that one country buys from another country; imports come into the country

Front 35

Judicial Branch

Back 35

part of the government that decides the meaning of laws; judges

Front 36

landform

Back 36

a natural feature of a land surface like mountains, or plains, or an island

Front 37

latitude

Back 37

distance north or south of the equator (like steps on a ladder) measured in degrees

Front 38

Legislative Branch

Back 38

part of the government that passes laws; this is Congress

Front 39

longitude

Back 39

distance east or west of the prime meridian; measured in degrees

Front 40

Loyalist

Back 40

colonist who remained loyal to the British during the American Revolution

Front 41

mayor

Back 41

head of a city or town government

Front 42

merchant

Back 42

a buyer or seller of goods for profit

Front 43

migration

Back 43

the act of moving from one place to another; people and animals migrate

Front 44

natural resource

Back 44

something that is found in nature such as minerals, water, plants, animals

Front 45

occupation

Back 45

someone's job such as a farmer, merchant, or teacher

Front 46

Patriot

Back 46

colonist who was against the British during the American Revolution

Front 47

penninsula

Back 47

a piece of land nearly surrounded by water or sticking out into the water

Front 48

profit

Back 48

money a business has left over after it pays all its costs

Front 49

population

Back 49

the number of people living in an area

Front 50

Proclamation

Back 50

a formal declaration; public announcement

Front 51

ratify

Back 51

to officially approve; a law has to be ratifed or approved before it goes into effect

Front 52

rebellion

Back 52

when people say they do not like something and protest against it; colonists rebelled against the tax on tea

Front 53

reform

Back 53

to change

Front 54

region

Back 54

large area that has common features that sets it apart from other areas

Front 55

renewable resource

Back 55

resource that can be renewed or replaced such as a tree

Front 56

repeal

Back 56

to cancel; laws can be repealed or taxes can be repealed or canceled

Front 57

represent

Back 57

when someone speaks for other people; we elect people to represent us in government

Front 58

rural

Back 58

a community that does not have a big population; usually has farms

Front 59

scarcity

Back 59

when there is not that much of something we say it is scarce

Front 60

segregation

Back 60

separation of people of different races

Front 61

suburb

Back 61

a community that is close to a city; we live in a surburban community

Front 62

suffrage

Back 62

right to vote

Front 63

tariff

Back 63

tax on imported goods

Front 64

treaty

Back 64

when two groups of people make an agreement to stop a war. The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolution

Front 65

surplus

Back 65

when you have more of something than you need you have a surplus

Front 66

agriculture

Back 66

the business of growing crops and raising animals

Front 67

assembly line

Back 67

method of mass production (making a lot of things at once) where a product is put together as it moves past a line of workers

Front 68

cash crop

Back 68

a crop grown to be sold for profit; tobacco is a cash crop

Front 69

consumer

Back 69

a person who buys goods or services

Front 70

manufacture

Back 70

to make goods from raw materials

Front 71

plantation

Back 71

large farm with many workers; the South had many plantations

Front 72

pollution

Back 72

something that dirties the water, air, or soil

Front 73

tax

Back 73

money people pay to the government

Front 74

tariff

Back 74

tax on imported goods

Front 75

treaty

Back 75

when two groups make an agreement to stop a war they sign a treaty. The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolution

Front 76

urban community

Back 76

a city

Front 77

U.S. Constitution

Back 77

adopted in 1789; it is our written plan of government

Front 78

veto

Back 78

power of the president to reject or say "no" to a bill passed by Congress

Front 79

port

Back 79

a place where ships load and unload goods

Front 80

irrigation

Back 80

to bring water to an area; farmers use irrigation to water their crops