Building Our Country: Chapter 8: Westward Expansion, Lessons 1–4

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. profit
    excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time
    A profit is the money a business earns after its debts have been paid.
  2. process
    a particular course of action intended to achieve a result
    Whitney wanted to find a way to make the process easier.
  3. determine
    establish after a calculation, investigation, or experiment
    He determined that using interchangeable parts, or parts that are the exact shape and size, to make many of the same item at the same time was the best process. This process is called mass production.
  4. mass production
    the manufacturing of large quantities of goods
    He determined that using interchangeable parts, or parts that are the exact shape and size, to make many of the same item at the same time was the best process. This process is called mass production.
  5. canal
    long and narrow strip of water for boats or for irrigation
    A canal is a human-made waterway.
  6. vaquero
    a cowboy or cattle driver
    Vaqueros, or Mexican cowboys, were known for their skills at riding horses and handling cattle.
  7. defend
    protect against a challenge or attack
    On October 10, 1835, Texas soldiers attacked Mexican soldiers defending a fort near Goliad.
  8. declare
    announce publicly or officially
    On March 2, 1836, Texan leaders declared independence.
  9. annex
    take territory as if by conquest
    After Texas won its independence, may Texans thought the United States would annex Texas, or take it over and make it a state.
  10. manifest destiny
    a policy of imperialist expansion said to be inevitable
    Tensions flared over Manifest Destiny, or the idea that the United States had a right to add territory until it reached the Pacific Ocean.
  11. prairie schooner
    a large wagon with broad wheels and an arched canvas top
    The most common wagon was the prairie schooner.
  12. persecution
    causing someone to suffer
    They faced persecution, or unfair treatment because of their beliefs.
  13. challenge
    a demanding or stimulating situation
    Once settled, life on the frontier was a challenge.
  14. enable
    provide the means to perform some task
    Their farms thrived, which enabled more people to settle and live there.
  15. gold rush
    a large influx of people to an area rich in precious metal
    A gold rush is a rapid flood of people into an area where gold has been discovered.
  16. entrepreneur
    someone who organizes a business venture
    An entrepreneur is someone who takes risks to start a business.
  17. discrimination
    unfair treatment of a person or group based on prejudice
    Both of these groups experienced discrimination, or unfair treatment, based on where they came from.
  18. method
    a way of doing something, especially a systematic way
    At first, a fairly simple method was used to mine for gold.
  19. innovation
    the act of starting something for the first time
    Others made money through innovation, by creatively offering new goods and services to meet the needs of the miners.
Created on Wed Jul 14 14:23:35 EDT 2021 (updated Thu Jul 15 16:49:09 EDT 2021)

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