American Heroes

Paul Revere (1735-1818)
boycott- to refuse to buy or use a product to make a point
colonist- a person who lives in a colony
colony- a place ruled by people in another country
diligence- working hard for a long time
harbor- a sheltered place along a coast where ships can safely anchor or dock
independence- free to make one's own choices
liberty- freedom from control by another
militia- people who work as soldiers when needed
protest- an event at which people speak out about an issue
revolution- a sudden, complete change in government
siliversmith- a person who makes objects out of siliver
tax- money people pay to a government in return for services
Fredrick Douglass (1818-

Abolitionist- a person who wants to end slavery

Civil rights- rights protected by laws

Conductor- a person who helped people escape to freedom on the Underground Railroad

Conscience- an inner sense of right and wrong

Enslaved- forced to work without pay

Expression- the ability to speak or write

Freedom- not being controlled by someone

Justice- equal treatment under the law

Liberty- freedom

Prejudice- a strong feeling or opinion formed unfairly or without knowing all the facts

Rights- freedom that are protected by a country’s laws

Slavery- a cruel system on which someone legally owns or controls another person

Underground Railroad- secret network of people and hiding places to help slaves escape to freedom

Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906)
Vocabulary Words to Know:
abolitionists: people who want to end slavery
convention: a formal meeting where people discuss a subject they are interested in
diligence: working hard for a long time
independent: being free to make one's own decisions
justice: equal treatment under the law
legislature: the law-making part of a government
organizer: a person who gets others to work for a shared goal or cause
property: something that is owned
Quaker: a member of a religion that emphasizes equality among people
register: to place one's name on an official list to do something
slavery: a cruel system in which one person owns and controls another person
suffrage: the right to vote
Mary McCleod Bethune (1875-1955)
Vocabulary To Know
Authority- the right and power to lead
Debate Team- a team that competes by making arguments for or against an idea
Depression- a time when many people lose jobs and companies go out of business
Diligence- hard work over a long time
Justice- equal treatment under the law
Missionary- a person who helps people while teaching them about a religion
Respect for and acceptance of authority- believing leaders have the right to lead
Segregation- a system of keeping people of different races separate
Volunteer- a person who helps people or groups without pay
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)
Vocabulary Words To Know
campaign- time before election when people running for office try to convince voters to vote for them
cooperate- work together with someone
democracy- a government in which people have the power to make polictical decisions
dictatorship- a country in which the ruler has complete  power and sometimes rules cruelly( or in a mean way)
diligently- with hard work and effort over a long time
disabled- having a condition that makes it difficult to do something
liberty- freedom from being controlled by someone else
opponent- someone who runs against a person in an election
public service- work for the good of others, often through a job in the government
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
Vocabulary To Know
authority- the right to lead and make decisions
campaign- time in which those running for office try to convince people to vote for them
cooperation-working together with others
First Lady- the wife of the President of the United States
govenor- person elected head of a state in the United States
human rights- the rights, or freedoms, that all humans deserve to have
immigrant- a person who comes into a country from another country to live
issues- subjects voters make choices about
respect for and acceptance of authority- obeying rules and expectations of adults and leaders
tolerance- respecting the beliefs and practices of others

Lyndon B. Johnson

  • Born into poverty. His house had no electricity or running water
  • Poverty – a lack of money
  • Vice President to John F. Kennedy and became president when JFK was assassinated. Later ran and became president for term.
  • Worked to pass Civil Right Act of 1964
  •  “Great Society” – I MEEE (Improve, Medical care, Education, Environment and Equality)
  • “War on poverty” – Stop poverty through education.
  • Signed laws to
    • stop segregation
    • stop discrimination in the work place
    • Protected voting rights of African Americans

Thurgood Marshall

  • Memorized Constitution while in elementary school
  • University of Maryland would not let him attend because he was African American
  • Attended Howard University Law and became a Lawyer so he could use laws to protect peoples civil rights
  • Worked for the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People)
  • Fought to end segregation in Schools to the Supreme Court
    • Brown versus The Born of Education
    • First African American Judge on the Supreme Court

Cesar Chavez

  • Son of immigrant farm workers who lived in poverty
  • Family became migrant farm workers (families that move from farm to farm working for low pay)
  • Poor living conditions harsh working conditions on the farms
    • Little water, hard beds, no bathrooms or hot showers
    • Worked for the Community Service Organization (CSO) persuading people to speak up about unfair treatment of workers.
    • Labor union leader who fought for the rights of Mexican Farm workers, through nonviolent protests and boycotts,