activist: Someone who does something, acts, in support of something they believe in. For example, Martin Luther King, Jr., was an activist for civil rights for all Americans.
Articles of Confederation: The United States' first constitution, made in 1781. It was replaced by the Constitution that we have now.
atomic bomb: A bomb which has a very big and violent explosion. The explosion is caused by the sudden release of energy when an atom — a very tiny part of nature; all physical things are made up of atoms — is split, which causes a chain reaction. It is a strange thing: by breaking a very tiny thing, a huge explosion is set off. When people talk of "nuclear war", they are talking about the use of atomic bombs.
canal: A passage between two bodies of water, built by humans.
Civil War: (1861Ð65) War between the federal government of the United States and 11 Southern states that seceded from the Union. The South wanted to start its own country, mostly because the North wanted to stop slavery and the South depended on slaves for farm work. The North won the war, which was very violent and miserable. The North was called the "Union Army" and the South was called the "Confederate Army".
Congress: In politics, the group that meets to make the laws. The nation of the United States has two houses of congress: the House of Representatives, and the Senate. Many states also have their own congresses; Illinois has both a House of Representatives and a Senate.
congressman: A politician that is a member of the United States congress. A Representative or Senator is a congressman.
conservative: In politics, this means a cautious person, a person who tends to value tradition and old ways of doing things, and to be more interested in financial matters and individual liberty than in social equality and justice.
Constitution: The United States Constitution is the original document that started the nation. It states the basic laws of the country.
corrupt: When a person has turned bad, and started doing things that are wrong (usually to gain money), she has become corrupt. Corruption is a serious problem in governments in big cities throughout the country, and Chicago has a long history of corruption. Corrupt police abuse citizens or do illegal things themselves. Corrupt government officials take bribes to do illegal things. Cities need to watch their governments closely to keep this from happening.
debate: A discussion between two people about something over which they disagree. Each person tries to show they are right by having a better argument.
federal: Having to do with the country's central government, based in Washington, D.C. Federal laws apply to the whole country, while Illinois state laws apply only to Illinois.
geography: Description of a place's physical and cultural features. What a place is like: its land, its people, the animals that live there.
Great Depression: When the stock market "crashed" in 1929, lots of people lost money and the country went into very bad economic times, which lasted until 1939. During this decade, there were an incredible amount of poor and unemployed people, and times were hard for most except the very rich who managed to hold onto their money.
immigrant: A person who comes to a new country to become a permanent resident there.
industry: The businesses that provide a particular product or service, usually as part of a manufacturing activity. For example, the steel industry is the collection of all the companies that manufacture, or make, steel.
intellectual: A person whose job it is to think a lot. For example, a college professor is an intellectual. Sometimes, intellectuals will think of very important things that change our world, as Albert Einstein did. On can be an intellectual and also be other things; for example, Martin Luther King, Jr., was both an intellectual and an activist.
liberal: In politics, this means a progressive person, an open-minded person, a person especially interested in human rights, civil rights, individual rights, freedom, democracy, and progress. For example, during his time, Martin Luther King, Jr., was considered very liberal. A liberal will fight for these things at the cost of other things, like economics.
party: A political party is a group of people who share most of the same political beliefs. Today, there are two important parties in the U.S.: the Democrats and the Republicans.
Revolutionary War: (1775-83) War in which the United States gained independence from Britain.
rural: A rural area is land that has not been developed very much by humans. That means that there are fewer roads, and the land is more natural, with more wildlife, trees, and plants. People still live in rural areas, but there are fewer people within a space. Often we speak of rural areas as "the country".
secede: To break away, to withdraw. When states seceded during the Civil War, they were saying, "We don't want to be part of the United States anymore — we're leaving to make our own country".
segregated: The separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by residence in a restricted area, by separate educational facilities, or in other discriminatory ways. When groups are segregated, they live apart. For a long time in the US after slavery, blacks and whites were supposed to live in "separate but equal" circumstances. They would have separate drinking fountains and bathrooms in public places, live in different areas of the city, and so on. The problem was that this was separate, but was not equal. In fact, it was just an excuse for racist practices. Today, we realize that we cannot have a society that separates its people. However, still today Chicago is very segregated, as blacks tend to live in certain areas — the West and South Sides — whites in others, and hispanics in others.
strike: A union of workers will go on strike when they feel that the company that employs them is being unfair. Often this will happen because they are not paid well or are forced to work too many hours. The employers often have a lot of power over the workers, so the workers come together to fight back. Even teachers have been forced to strike at times. Going on strike means the workers stop working and protest. With no one working, the company can't get anything done, and usually must offer the workers better conditions.
urban: An urban area is land that has been developed by humans. Cities and large towns are urban areas. Today, they often have lots of roads and concrete, buildings, and people, all contained within a certain space.
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