Vocabulary
clipper ship - a fast sailing ship with slender lines, tall masts, and large square sails
telegraph - a device or system that uses electric signals to transmit messages by a code over wires Morse code - a system for transmitting messages that uses a series of dots and dashes to represent the letters of the alphabet, numbers, and punctuation trade union - organization of workers with the same trade or skill strike - a stopping of work by workers to force an employer to meet demands prejudice - an unfair opinion not based on facts discrimination - unfair treatment of a group; unequal treatment because of a person's race, religion, ethnic background, or place of birth nativist - a person who favors those born in his country and is opposed to immigrants |
famine - an extreme shortage of food
cotton gin - a machine that removed seeds from cotton fiber yeoman - Southern owner of a small farm who did not have enslaved people tenant farmer - farmer who works land owned by another and pays rent either in cash or crops fixed costs - regular expenses such as housing or maintaining equipment that remain about the same year after year credit - a form of loan; ability to buy goods based on future payment overseer - person who supervises a large operation or its workers spiritual - an African American religious folk song slave code - the laws passed in the Southern states that controlled and restricted enslaved people |