Definition and meaning of Recall

Recall - [Social Studies]

Recall developed out of the political reform efforts in the Progressive era of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Through the process of recall, voters hold the power to remove a public official from office before the next scheduled election.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Reconstruction

Reconstruction (1867-1877)

In the post-Civil War period, from 1865 to 1877, the United States confronted the problems of re-admitting the southern states to the Union and integrating the freed slaves into society. At the end of the Civil War northern business was prospering due to the increased production required for the war effort and the fact that few battles were fought in that area. In contrast the south was in ruins. To rebuild national strength, the federal government supported the reformation of governments in the former Confederate states which supported the Union. Some congressmen believed the South should be further punished for seceding and that Reconstruction should require the following: voting rights for all African Americans, no voting rights for ex-Confederates, government seizure of land from planters for redistribution to freedmen, and funding of schools for African Americans. Others, including President Abraham Lincoln, believed in a quick healing. When Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, President Andrew Johnson tried to implement similar Reconstruction policies. Yet, many sought the more radical approach. When Congress passed a Civil Rights Act in 1866 which advocated the radical approach, Johnson vetoed it but Congress overrode. Radical Reconstruction gained support and Congress was able to pass the Reconstruction Act of 1867. This marked the beginning of Reconstruction. If southern states hoped to rejoin the federal government they had to accept the 14th Amendment (the Civil Rights Act of 1866) and they had to rewrite their constitutions so all adult men were able to vote. The emancipation of the slaves left thousands of people without work or income. One of the biggest challenges was creating a system to give land to freedmen so they could farm and make a living. This system was never developed. Instead, due to disagreements among northern politicians and a lack of interest on the part of southerners, a solution was never found. Reconstruction ended when President Rutherford B. Hayes passed the Compromise of 1877 which removed the last of the federal troops from the South. When they left, the Reconstruction governments stopped and southerners regained political control. These southerners were known as Redeemers. They favored a return to the ways of the antebellum South including a society based on the superiority of white people. Challenges to the unequal treatment of blacks and women became more united during the civil rights movements and peaked when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Referendum

Referendum - [Social Studies]

Referendum developed out of the political reform efforts of the Progressive era in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Referendum is the process by which voters approve bills offered by the legislature. Controversial bills such as tax increases can thus be put to a public vote before becoming law.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Region

Region - [World Geography]

A region is a part of Earth's surface that is alike or connected in some way. It is used as a tool to help organize the complexity of Earth's surface. All regions have area, boundaries (which may be distinct or fuzzy depending upon the criteria used to define the region), and location. Regions can be large or they can be small and are arranged in a nested, hierarchical order. Regions are either Formal Regions, Functional Regions, or Perceptual Regions.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Regions

Regions

Regions are areas of the earth's surface which have similar physical or human characteristics distinctive from the characteristics of neighboring areas.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Nazism

Nazism - [World History]

In Germany, the Weimar Republic, established at the end of World War I, was challenged by leftists (communists) who believed in world revolution and by ultra-conservatives (fascists and extreme nationalists) who opposed the democratic goals of the republic. Adolf Hitler attempted to unite Germany as a fascist state. Because of the influences of fascism, it was natural for Hitler to destroy anything which threatened the unified nation, hence his fixation with purifying the dominant Aryan race and his insistence on totalitarian rule. Born in Austria during a period of social unrest and economic depression, he served in the Bavarian army during World War I and was convinced that Germany was defeated not on the battlefield but internally, by conspiratorial forces. In 1919 he joined the German Workers' Party, a group favoring nationalism. In 1920 the name was changed to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter-Partei -- NSDAP -- shortened to Nazi). By 1921 Hitler was the party leader patterning his rule on that of Benito Mussolini and his Fascist Party in Italy. Hitler outlined his views in Mein Kampf (My Struggle) published in 1925. In 1933 the Nazis seized power and became the only legal political party in Germany.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Perception

Perception - [Psychology]

Perception is the organization of sensations in combination with previous experience. Together these form meaningful stimuli.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Perception

Perception - [World Geography]

People's perceptions of places and regions are not uniform. Their views of particular places or regions are their interpretations of its characteristics as influenced by their own cultures and experiences.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Ramadan

Ramadan

Ramadan is the holy month in the calendar of Islam. Moslems fast between sunrise and sunset each day during Ramadan.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Republicanism

Republicanism

Republicanism is a philosophy of limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people. Republicanism says that the only legitimate government is one based on the consent of the governed.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Oceans

Oceans

There are four major oceans including the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean. They are all part of one huge body of salt water which covers the globe. The largest and the deepest is the Pacific Ocean. 

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Resources

Resources - [World Geography]

A resource is any physical material that constitutes part of Earth and which people need and value. There are three basic natural resources: air, land, and water, but anything that humans consider valuable qualifies as a resource. Natural resources can be categorized as: renewable -- they replenish themselves, e.g., plants, animals, nonrenewable -- only used once, e.g., fossil fuels, or flow -- must be used as, when, and where they are, e.g., wind, water, sunlight. A resource as a thing of value is a cultural concept; the value attached to any given resource varies from culture to culture, from time to time. The value of a resource depends upon human needs and the technology available to extract and use it. Crude oil was once perceived as a worthless nuisance until technology allowed it to be refined to a form used in lamps. Whale oil, thus, was no longer valued as a resource. The location of resources influences the distribution of people and their activities on Earth. People live where they can earn a living. Human migration and settlement are linked to the availability of resources ranging from fertile soils and supplies of fresh water to deposits of metals or pools of natural gas. The demand for resources increases with population and helps to drive national and international patterns of trade.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers were first used to protect settlers moving into west Texas in the 1830s. The Rangers continue to serve as special law officers responsible for keeping peace throughout the state. During the Mexican War (1846-1848) Texas Rangers shared their knowledge of south Texas and northern Mexico with U.S. forces. They gained a reputation as leaders and fighters, but were criticized for being reckless and independent. Mexicans called them the Texas Devils. The Rangers had a distinct advantage in their efforts to maintain peace in Texas when they started using the Colt revolver in the 1840s. There is a museum and hall of fame dedicated to the Texas Rangers in Waco, Texas.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Texas Revolution

Texas Revolution

A political revolution is an attempt to overthrow a government. Residents of Texas joined forces to challenge the rule of Mexican dictator Antonio L—pez de Santa Anna and Mexican military authority in 1835. This followed years of efforts led by Stephen F. Austin to maintain good relations. Following a two-year imprisonment Austin began to believe that independence held the answer. He and others, including Sam Houston, saw the benefits of association with Mexico but were frustrated at the limits Mexico imposed. The Battle of Gonzales on October 2, 1835, was the first battle in the Texas Revolution. The siege of the Alamo and the massacre of Texans at Goliad inspired Texas troops to fight the larger, better equipped Mexican army. At the Battle of San Jacinto Texans defeated the Mexican forces and captured General Santa Anna. In the Treaty of Velasco Santa Anna agreed to stop fighting the Texans and to support the independence of Texas.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Thematic Maps

Thematic Maps

The two categories of maps are reference maps and thematic maps. A thematic map shows a specific spatial distribution, theme, or topic such as population density, cattle production, climates of the world, or distribution of world religions. A reference map shows the locations of things. Road maps or maps in atlases are reference maps.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Third Parties

Third Parties - [Social Studies]

Third parties or minority parties serve a useful purpose in democratic government. They offer a voice to those seeking to reform the dominant two-party system. They reflect an interest in change and often contribute new political ideas. Frustrated farmers in the south and west formed the People's Party or Populists and in 1892 nominated James Weaver, a Greenback-Labor candidate in the election of 1880, as their presidential candidate. The party platform called for a graduated income tax; government ownership of the telephone, the telegraph, and railroad; and the unlimited coinage of silver. As third-party issues garner public support, the issues are often adopted by a major party. This happened to the Populists in the presidential campaign of 1896 when the Democrats and their nominee, William Jennings Bryan, appropriated much of the Populist platform. Other issues such as child labor laws, antitrust laws, and women's suffrage were also adopted by a major party. Notable third-party candidates for president include Eugene Debs (Socialist candidate, 1908, 1912, 1920), Theodore Roosevelt (Bull Moose, 1912), George Wallace (American Independent, 1968), and H. Ross Perot (Independent, 1992, 1996).

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Timeline

Timeline

A timeline is a chronological listing of events. By arranging events in order the sequence of events is clear and cause-and-effect relationships become more obvious.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Totalitarian

Totalitarian

Totalitarian government is a type of unlimited government which attempts to control all facets of the lives of citizens. Independent associations are prohibited and government resorts to intimidation to impose rule. Examples of totalitarian regimes include the Soviet Union under Stalin, Germany under Hitler, Cambodia under Pol Pot, Cuba under Castro, and Iraq under Saddam Hussein. These governments control education, art, literature, and mass communications and may even ban emigration

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Totalitarianism

Totalitarianism - [Government]

Totalitarianism is a type of government which attempts to control all facets of the lives of its citizens, often resorting to intimidation to impose rule. Examples of totalitarian regimes include the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, Germany under Adolf Hitler, Cambodia under Pol Pot, Cuba under Fidel Castro, and Iraq under Saddam Hussein. These governments control education, art, literature, and mass communications and may even ban emigration.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap

Definition and meaning of Trade Barriers

Trade Barriers - [Economics]

Barriers to trade include quotas of imports and protective tariffs. Health and safety regulations and requirements are often used by governments as more subtle trade barriers.

(Source: The Social Studies Center at Texas University )

Also see these pages:  Social Studies, Social Studies Sitemap, History, History Sitemap