Building Our Country: Chapter 5: The American Revolution, Lessons 3–5

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. independence
    freedom from control or influence of another or others
    Many delegates had not thought about declaring independence, or freedom, from Great Britain.
  2. equality
    the quality of being the same in quantity, value, or status
    The movement stressed that liberty and equality, or having the same rights as everyone else, are basic human rights.
  3. unite
    act in concert or for a common purpose or belief
    Paine also argued for the colonies to unite under a system of representative government.
  4. treason
    a crime that undermines the offender's government
    Bt declaring independence, they were vulnerable to accusations of treason, or attempting to overthrow one's government.
  5. foundation
    the basis on which something is grounded
    Written in the 1700s, the ideas of the Declaration of Independence became the foundation of American democracy.
  6. mercenary
    a person hired to fight for another country than their own
    These soldiers were mercenaries, or soldiers hired by a foreign country.
  7. confine
    prevent from leaving or from being removed
    During this time, the Continental army kept the British army confined within the city of Boston.
  8. retreat
    pull back or move away or backward
    This time, he was defeated and forced to retreat, or withdraw.
  9. alliance
    an agreement establishing an association between groups
    An alliance is a formal agreement of friendship between countries.
  10. emerge
    happen or occur as a result of something
    Since women instructed children to be reasonable and responsible adults, a new idea emerged of wives and mothers as a "republican motherhood."
  11. scarcity
    a small and inadequate amount
    The blockades caused scarcity. This lack of supplies resulted in huge price increases.
  12. profiteer
    make excessive money on sales of scarce goods
    They began profiteering, or charging very high prices for goods.
  13. recover
    get or find back
    The Spanish wanted to recover some of the land that they had lost to the British.
  14. reinforcement
    additional support for an existing military operation
    American General Charles Lee learned that British reinforcements were coming.
  15. peninsula
    a large mass of land projecting into a body of water
    He then went to Yorktown, Virginia, which is on a peninsula, a piece of land almost surrounded by water, but still attached to the mainland.
  16. negotiate
    discuss the terms of an arrangement
    In 1782, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, and British officials negotiated the Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty.
Created on Wed Jul 14 14:07:00 EDT 2021 (updated Mon Jul 19 11:15:58 EDT 2021)

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