"The American Pageant," Vocabulary from Chapters 21-22

This list focuses on the Civil War and Reconstruction (1861-1877).

Here are links to all the chapters in Part Three, Testing the New Nation: Chapters 16-18, Chapters 19-20, Chapters 21-22

Here are links to all the parts of the textbook published by Houghton Mifflin: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six
50 words 36 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. spectator
    a close observer; someone who looks at something
  2. protracted
    relatively long in duration
  3. morale
    the feeling that makes group members want to succeed
  4. regiment
    army unit smaller than a division
  5. infantry
    an army unit consisting of soldiers who fight on foot
  6. cavalry
    troops trained to fight on horseback
  7. brigade
    army unit smaller than a division
  8. casualty
    someone injured or killed in a military engagement
  9. attrition
    a wearing down to weaken or destroy
  10. ironclad
    a wooden warship of the 19th century plated with armor
  11. engagement
    a hostile meeting of opposing military forces
  12. subjugation
    forced submission to control by others
  13. contraband
    goods whose trade or possession is prohibited by law
  14. insurrection
    organized opposition to authority
  15. slaughter
    the savage and excessive killing of many people
  16. flank
    be located at the sides of something or somebody
  17. sentinel
    a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
  18. bastion
    a stronghold for shelter during a battle
  19. campaign
    related operations aimed at achieving a particular goal
  20. besiege
    surround so as to force to give up
  21. pillage
    steal goods; take as spoils
  22. torpedo
    a long cylindrical self-propelled underwater projectile
  23. bayonet
    a knife fixed to the end of a rifle and used as a weapon
  24. assassination
    murder of a public figure by surprise attack
  25. calamity
    an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
  26. reconstruction
    the activity of building something again
  27. rubble
    the remains of something that has been destroyed
  28. pardon
    grant release from punishment for an offense
  29. bureau
    an administrative unit of government
  30. welfare
    governmental provision of assistance to persons in need
  31. confiscate
    take temporary possession of a security by legal authority
  32. exigency
    a pressing or urgent situation
  33. restoration
    returning something or someone to a satisfactory state
  34. forfeit
    lose the right to or lose by some error, offense, or crime
  35. atone
    make amends for
  36. sanction
    give authority or permission to
  37. statute
    an act passed by a legislative body
  38. subservient
    compliant and obedient to authority
  39. stringent
    demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
  40. condition
    a statement of what is required as part of an agreement
  41. wayward
    resistant to guidance or discipline
  42. enfranchise
    grant voting rights
  43. upstart
    of someone who has suddenly risen economically or socially
  44. supremacy
    power to dominate or defeat
  45. intimidation
    being made to feel afraid or timid
  46. folly
    a stupid mistake
  47. grievous
    causing or marked by grief or anguish
  48. obstacle
    something that stands in the way and must be surmounted
  49. radical
    markedly new or introducing extreme change
  50. noble
    having high or elevated character
Created on Tue Nov 22 12:59:21 EST 2016 (updated Thu Dec 01 13:46:26 EST 2016)

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