American History: Beginnings to 1877: 5. The Early Republic, Lessons 4–6

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. vital
    urgently needed; absolutely necessary
    In 1795, President Washington sent Thomas Pinckney to find a way to keep the vital port open.
  2. exceed
    be greater in scope or size than some standard
    They had no authority to buy all of Louisiana or to exceed $10 million.
  3. expedition
    an organized group of people undertaking a journey
    Jefferson chose Meriwether Lewis, his private secretary, to head the expedition, or long voyage of exploration.
  4. impressment
    the act of forcing someone into government service
    Needing more sailors, the British navy stepped up impressment, the practice of forcing people into service.
  5. embargo
    a government order imposing a trade barrier
    Jefferson hoped that an American embargo, or ban on trade, would hurt France and Britain by cutting off needed supplies.
  6. smuggle
    import or export without paying customs duties
    Some turned to smuggling, importing or exporting goods in violation of trade laws.
  7. confederation
    the state of being allied
    Tecumseh worked to organize the groups of the Northwest into a confederation, or alliance with a shared military command.
  8. hawk
    an advocate of an aggressive policy on foreign relations
    However, members of Congress from the South and the West called for war. They were known as War Hawks.
  9. nationalism
    love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it
    War Hawks were stirred by a strong sense of nationalism, or devotion to one's country.
  10. commence
    begin or get started
    As the war commenced, however, the United States faced difficulties of its own.
  11. decisive
    determining or having the power to determine an outcome
    The Americans won a decisive victory at the Battle of the Thames.
  12. sectionalism
    excessive devotion to the interests of a particular region
    These disputes were a result of sectionalism, or loyalty to one's state or section rather than to the nation as a whole.
  13. advocate
    a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea
    Daniel Webster of New Hampshire was an advocate for the North and a skillful public speaker.
  14. regulate
    bring into conformity with rules, principles, or usage
    Without the Bank to lend money and regulate the nation's money supply, the economy suffered.
  15. interstate
    of relations between individual divisions of a country
    Only the federal government had the power to regulate interstate commerce, or trade between different states.
  16. intervention
    policy of getting involved in the affairs of other countries
    On several occasions, the United States successfully challenged European intervention, or direct involvement, in Latin America.
Created on Fri Jun 25 10:51:16 EDT 2021 (updated Tue Jun 29 09:37:48 EDT 2021)

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