Politics and Government Homework

Read Zinn handout pages 86-96
Answer the following questions. Use the vocabulary list below to help with yor reading. I advise that you print it out so it is handy as you read.

1) Compare the British relationship with Indians to the French relationship with Indians.

2) Discuss the British use of biological warfare.

3) Why did Inidans side with the British during the Revolution?

4) Reflect on Zinn's discussion of blacks before and after the Revolution.
a) Why did slavery expand in the South and not the North?
b) Discuss the demands that free blacks made on society.
c) Prepare a primary source analysis chart for Banneker's letter to Jefferson.

5) Compare and contrast the opinions of Charles Beard and George Bankcroft regarding the Constitution.

6) List the economic interests groups who attended the Constitutional COnvention.

7) What prompted Shays' Rebellion? Consider both economic and political reasons.


inexorable: unable to be persuaded; relentless; unrelenting; impossible to stop or prevent; inevitable; adamant; severe

subdue: repress, put down by force or intimidation; "The government quashes any attempt of an uprising"; "China keeps down her dissidents very efficiently"; "The rich landowners subjugated the peasants working the land"

coexistance: exist together

intricate: having many complexly arranged elements; elaborate; "intricate lacework"

swindling: victimize, deprive of by deceit; "He swindled me out of my inheritance"; "She defrauded the customers who trusted her"; "the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change", the act of swindling by some fraudulent scheme; "that book is a fraud"

provincial: of or associated with a province; "provincial government"

redress: damages, a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury

acquaint: introduce, cause to come to know personally; "permit me to acquaint you with my son"; "introduce the new neighbors to the community"

cede: give over, surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another

negotiate: discuss the terms of an arrangement; "They negotiated the sale of the house"

guerilla: a member of an irregular armed force that fights a stronger force by sabotage and harassment

expedition: a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country

cession: that which is ceded. Insurance: (part of) a risk which is transferred from one actor to another; The transfer of a personal claim from a cedent to a cessionary

multiplicity: the property of being multiple, numerousness, a large number

bulwark: a protective structure of stone or concrete; extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away

amid: surrounded by; in the middle of; in the center of

evade: avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues); "He dodged the issue"; "she skirted the problem"; "They tend to evade their responsibilities"; "he evaded the questions skillfully"

rhetoric: using language effectively to please or persuade

apprehend: appreciated, fully understood or grasped; "dangers not yet appreciated"; "these apprehended truths"; "a thing comprehended is a thing known as fully as it can be known"

conceive: have the idea for; "He conceived of a robot that would help paralyzed patients"; "This library was well conceived"
think, judge or regard; look upon; judge; "I think he is very smart"; "I believe her to be very smart"; "I think that he is her boyfriend"; "The racist conceives such people to be inferior"

exert: put to use; "exert one's power or influence"

attest: provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes; "His high fever attested to his illness"; "The buildings in Rome manifest a high level of architectural sophistication"; "This decision demonstrates his sense of fairness"

censure: harsh criticism or disapproval

endowment: natural abilities or qualities
(2) the capital that provides income for an institution
(3)the act of endowing with a permanent source of income; "his generous endowment of the laboratory came just in the nick of time"

prevail: predominate: be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance; "Money reigns supreme here"; "Hispanics predominate in this neighborhood"

sentiment: tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion

concurrent: occurring or operating at the same time; "a series of coincident events"

imbibed: absorb, take in, also metaphorically; "The sponge absorbs water well"; "She drew strength from the minister's words"

consonant: accordant, in keeping; "salaries agreeable with current trends"; "plans conformable with your wishes"; "expressed views concordant with his background"

redemption: (theology) the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil
(2) repayment of the principal amount of a debt or security at or before maturity (as when a corporation repurchases its own stock)
(3) the act of purchasing back something previously sold

maxim: a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits

imprudence: a lack of caution in practical affairs, unwise

opulence: deluxe, rich and superior in quality; "a princely sum"; "gilded dining rooms"