Embedded Files
10/9/25 USH Vitamin #30
Ratification – The formal signing and approval of the Constitution by the states
Federal Government – The national government of the US over the state governments established by the Constitution
Political Party – An organization that organizes people of similar political beliefs in order to enact changes in government institutions
10/7/25 USH Vitamin #29
3/5 Compromise – An agreement in the constitution that gives slave states more representatives in Congress by counting each slave as 3/5 of a person.
Connecticut Compromise – A compromise that combined the Virginia and New Jersey plans, giving the House of Rep. proportional representation and the Senate equal representation for states
Bill of Rights – The first ten amendments to the Constitution that protect basic rights of citizens from the government, passed to appease anti-federalists
10/6/25 USH Vitamin #28
Federalists – A supporter of the Constitution and the stronger federal government it would create
Anti-Federalists – An opponent to the Constitution concerned with the federal government becoming too powerful
Federalist Papers – A collection of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in defense of ratifying the Constitution
10/3/25 USH Vitamin #28
Constitutional Convention – A convention in 1787 that negotiated and wrote the United States Constitution
Constitution – A written document that establishes and guides all aspects of our government
Delegate – An individual sent somewhere to represent a particular group of people
10/2/25 USH Vitamin #27
Northwest Ordinance (1787) - Organized the introduction of new states into the Union from the Northwest territory
Shays' Rebellion (1787)- A violent insurrection in the Massachusetts over a debt crisis, showed the weakness of the federal government
9/30/25 USH Vitamin #26
Active Recall - Trying to recall information from your mind without looking at notes (quizzing yourself)
Pomodoro Technique - A time management technique which splits studying into 25 minute chunks, followed by 5 minute breaks
Procrastination - Delaying or postponing something until the last minute, detrimental to studying
9/29/25 USH Vitamin #25
Treaty of Paris (1783) – Treaty that ended the Revolutionary War, with Britain recognizing the 13 colonies as independent and surrendering all land east of the Mississippi River
Articles of Confederation – Document establishing the first government of the United States
United States of America – Independent union of states created from the 13 colonies
9/26/25 USH Vitamin #24
Valley Forge – The winter encampment of the Continental Army in 1777-78, mass starvation
Marquis de Lafayette – A French general who assisted George Washington in leading revolutionary troops
Battle of Yorktown (1781) – A siege in Virginia which resulted in a massive British surrender and ultimately led to the end of the Revolution
9/25/25 USH Vitamin #23
Guerilla warfare – Fighting with small groups in ambushes against a much more powerful military
General Howe – Leading British general during the Revolutionary War, responsible for capturing New York City and other early British victories
General Washington – Leading American general in the Revolutionary War, leading the fight against the British with the Continental Army
9/22/25 USH Vitamin #22
Describe which part of the paper writing you know you will struggle with the most (sticking to the argument, organization, flow, tone, word choice, etc.).
9/19/25 USH Vitamin #21
Patriot – A colonist who advocated for resistance to the British and, eventually, independence
Loyalist – A colonist who remained loyal to the British crown
Continental Army – An army created by the Continental Congress to face the British, led by George Washington
9/18/25 USH Vitamin #20
Thesis – The central argument of a paper that guides everything written in the body paragraphs
Transition – Connecting different ideas in a paper together so that it flows logically
Conclusion – An ending which ties together and summarizes the ideas of the paper without repeating the thesis
9/17/25 USH Vitamin #19
Continental Congress – A meeting of delegates from the 13 colonies that organized united resistance to the British
Olive Branch Petition – A petition from the Continental Congress pledging loyalty to the crown and trying to make a peaceful compromise
Thomas Jefferson – Founding father, 3rd President of the U.S., and primary author of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence – Document officially declaring and justifying the 13 colonies from Britain on July 4, 1776
9/15/25 USH Vitamin #18
Common Sense (1776) – A popular pamphlet written by Thomas Paine which promoted American independence
The Wealth of Nations (1776) – An economics book written by Adam Smith promoting free trade and capitalism
Independence – A country being free from the rule of another country or government entity
9/12/25 USH Vitamin #17
Militia – Local groups of colonial men who organized to protect their towns and colonies from threats
Lexington and Concord (1775) – An attempt by British soldiers to seize weapons being gathered by colonists. The first armed conflict between colonists and the British and the start of the Revolutionary War.
Paul Revere – A member of the Sons of Liberty who spread revolutionary ideals through political cartoons. Famous for warning revolutionaries of the British assault on Lexington and Concord.
Liberty – Living free of oppressive restrictions on one’s actions or beliefs
9/10/25 USH Vitamin #16
Boycott – The nonviolent refusal to buy a product in protest of a particular company or government
Sons of Liberty – A loosely organized group of men in the 13 colonies resisting British taxes
Daughters of Liberty – An organization of colonial women who helped resistance efforts through boycotts and making cloth to replace British fabric
Tar & Feathering – A form of public humiliation used to intimidate tax collectors in the colonies during the lead up to the Revolution
9/9/25 USH Vitamin #15
Boston Massacre (1770) – Nine British soldiers fired on a mob of colonists who were harassing them, killing five
Boston Tea Party (1773) – The destruction of a large amount of tea in Boston harbor by colonists protesting the Tea Act
Coercive Acts (1774) – A series of laws meant to punish Boston for the Boston Tea Party, including closing the port and taking over the local government
9/8/25 USH Vitamin #14
Sugar Act (1764) – A heavy tax on foreign sugar and a ban on foreign rum in the colonies
Stamp Act (1765) – A tax on various paper products in the colonies. It was the first direct tax of Parliament on the colonies.
Townshend Acts (1767) – Taxes on various goods imported to the 13 colonies
9/5/25 USH Vitamin #13
Virtual Representation – Individuals in Parliament represent the whole British Empire, regardless of where they live
Tariff – A tax on imports or exports intended to support the domestic economy
Civil Disobedience – Active, nonviolent refusal to obey certain laws or rules for moral reasons
9/4/25 USH Vitamin #12
Benjamin Franklin – Founding Father, publisher, and inventor who heavily influenced the American Revolution and the founding of American government
Albany Plan of Union – Proposal from Benjamin Franklin during the French and Indian war to unite the 13 colonies under a single federal government
Poor Richard’s Almanac – A general information manual written by Franklin that was very popular among common colonial people
8/29/25 USH Vitamin #11
Explain what you believe to be the most important parts of making a good piece of writing for a class.
8/28/25 USH Vitamin #10
French and Indian War – A conflict in the 1750s and 60s over French and British land claims in the Ohio River Valley
Frontier – The limit of settled land bordering unsettled wilderness or native territories
George Washington – A young army officer in the war who surrendered a fort to the French due to rain ruining his gunpowder
Proclamation Line of 1763 – A boundary made by the British government preventing settlers in the American colonies from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains
8/27/25 USH Vitamin #9
Tribe – A native social group made of families with a common language, culture, and background
Praying Indian – Native Americans who converted to Christianity, often adopting European lifestyles and language
Longhouse – A narrow, single-room building used by New England natives for communal living
8/26/25 USH Vitamin #8
John Winthrop – Founding Puritan governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, one of the models for American government
Iroquois Confederacy – An independent political and military union of five native tribes in New England during the colonial period of the U.S.
King Philip’s War – A conflict in 1675-76 between natives and New England settlers over european claims on land and the execution of three natives
Metacom – Leader of the Wampanoag, a New England native group. He at first cooperated with colonists, but later died leading King Philip’s War against them.
8/25/25 USH Vitamin #7
Mercantilism – An economic theory that promotes having more exports than imports, gaining wealth at the expense of other countries/territories
Navigation Acts – Acts passed by Parliament in the mid 1600s that restricted the colonies to trading only with England. It was intended to increase the self-sufficiency of the Empire.
Social Contract Theory – The consent of the governed is what gives a government the right to rule
Great Awakening – A religious revival in the 13 colonies that strengthened ideals of individual liberty and of distinctly American identity
8/22/25 USH Vitamin #6
Puritan – English Protestant Christians who wanted to “purify” the Church of England of Catholic elements
Pilgrim – Religious separatists who left the Church of England to practice their own faith in Massachusetts
Plymouth Colony – The first permanent English colony in New England founded by the Pilgrims
Mayflower Compact – The founding document of the Plymouth Colony that established self-government
8/21/25 USH Vitamin #5
Jamestown – The first permanent English settlement in North America
Virginia Company – A company founded to generate profit by establishing an English colony in the New World with the permission of the crown
John Smith – An English captain who helped the Jamestown colony survive its first years through leadership and negotiations with local Powhatan tribespeople
Pocahontas – Daughter of the chief of the Powhatans who saved Smith from execution. She married John Rolfe and was taken back to England.
8/20/25 USH Vitamin #4
Columbian Exchange – the exchange of diseases, ideas, food, crops, and people across the Atlantic between the Old and New Worlds
Mestizo/métis – A person with mixed European and Native American ancestry
Missionary – A person sent to a foreign country to spread Christianity
8/19/25 USH Vitamin #3
Encomienda – a system of forced labor imposed on indigenous workers by Spanish colonists
Slavery – condition in which one human being is owned by another, usually involving forced labor and a lack of rights
Indentured Servitude – a form of labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years
8/18/25 USH Vitamin #2
Primary Source – A first-hand account of a past time period. It can be any form of media, including documents and objects.
Secondary Source – A source created after a past time period by someone with no direct experience with that time. Usually overviews and summarizes multiple primary sources.
1. What makes a source reliable?
Conciseness – Writing in a clear, comprehensive, and brief way. Only necessary words are used.
8/15/25 USH Vitamin #1
Christopher Columbus – Italian explorer who was the first modern European to discover the Americas and their native populations in 1492.
Colonization – The process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of a foreign land.
New World – Lands in the Western Hemisphere discovered by Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Native American/Amerindian – An individual whose ancestors have lived in the Americas for thousands of years before the arrival of European colonial powers.
Page updated
Report abuse