Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Explain and examine the significance of the following names and terms:
Slavery: Slavery in America began when the first African slaves were brought to the North American colony of
Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619, to aid in the production of such lucrative crops as tobacco. Slavery was practiced
throughout the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries, and African‐American slaves helped build the
economic foundations of the new nation. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 solidified the central
importance of slavery to the South's economy. By the mid‐19th century, America's westward expansion, along
with a growing abolition movement in the North, would provoke a great debate over slavery that would tear
the nation apart in the bloody American Civil War (1861‐65). Though the Union victory freed the nation's 4
million slaves, the legacy of slavery continued to influence American history, from the tumultuous years of
Reconstruction (1865‐77) to the civil rights movement that emerged in the 1960s, a century after emancipation.
Populism: In general, ideology or political movement that mobilizes the population (often, but not always, the
lower classes) against an institution or government, usually in the defense of the underdog or the wronged.
Whether of left, right, or middle political persuasion, it seeks to unite the uncorrupt and the unsophisticated
(the 'little man') against the corrupt dominant elites (usually the orthodox politicians) and their camp followers
(usually the rich and the intellectuals). It is guided by the belief that political and social goals are best achieved
by the direct actions of the masses. Although it comes into being where mainstream political institutions fail to
deliver, there is no identifiable economic or social set of conditions that give rise to it, and it is not confined to
any particular social class.
Diversity: The condition of having or being composed of differing elements, especially the inclusion of different
types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization. An instance of being
composed of differing elements or qualities; an instance of being diverse. (ethnic pluralism)
Grass roots: A grassroots movement (often referenced in the context of a political movement) is one driven by
the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it
are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by
traditional power structures. Grassroots movements are often at the local level, as many volunteers in the
community give their time to support the local party, which can lead to helping the national party. For instance,
a grassroots movement can lead to significant voter registration for a political party, which in turn helps the
state and national parties.
America: either continent (North America or S. America) of the western hemisphere.
Utopianism: the views or habit of mind of a utopian; impracticable schemes of political or social reform.
Nativism: is the political position of demanding a favored status for certain established inhabitants of a nation
as compared to claims of newcomers or immigrants. Nativism typically means opposition to immigration and
support of efforts to lower the political or legal status of specific ethnic or cultural groups because the groups
are considered hostile or alien to the natural culture, and assumptions that they cannot be assimilated.
Discrimination towards others by the majority indigenous population.
Ideology: An ideology is a set of ideas that constitute one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology is a
comprehensive vision, a way of looking at things as in several philosophical tendencies, or a set of ideas
proposed by the dominant class of a society to all members of this society (a "received consciousness" or
product of socialization).
Globalization: Over many centuries, human societies across the globe have established progressively closer
contacts. Recently, the pace of global integration has dramatically increased. Unprecedented changes in
communications, transportation, and computer technology have given the process new impetus and made the
world more interdependent than ever. Multinational corporations manufacture products in many countries
and sell to consumers around the world. Money, technology and raw materials move ever more swiftly across
national borders. Along with products and finances, ideas and cultures circulate more freely. As a result, laws,
economies, and social movements are forming at the international level.
Individualism: A comprehensive and logical definition of this term is not easy to obtain. Individualism is not the
opposite of socialism, except in a very general and incomplete way. The definition given in the Century
Dictionary is too narrow: "That theory of government which favors non‐interference of the State in the affairs
of individuals." This covers only one form of individualism, namely, political or civic. Perhaps the following will
serve as a fairly satisfactory description: The tendency to magnify individual liberty, as against external
authority, and individual activity, as against associated activity.
Ethnic: An ethnic is a person who is a member of a specific racial or cultural group that is considered a minority.
(Noun). An example of an ethnic in the United States is a person from Mexico. Ethnic describes someone or