A group of people who work together to achieve some specific purpose
Executive Branch
the branch of government that carries out/enforces laws; led by the President (federal government) and governor (state government)
Belen Robles
First national female president of LULAC; Family came to the United States from Mexico (she was born in the U.S.); Education for Hispanics is an impor...
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
(1848) treaty signed by the U.S. and Mexico that officially ended the Mexican-American War; Resulted in Mexican Cession; in exchange the U.S. gave Mex...
Constitutional Principles
An essential idea contained in the Constitution. Republicanism, checks and balances, separation of powers, federalism, popular sovereignty, individual...
Federalism
A system in which power is divided between the national and state governments
Popular Sovereignty
A government in which the people rule by their own consent.
American Civil War
1861-1865: War between North (union states) and South (confederate states) over issues surrounding slavery
moisture
wetness caused by water; example: The Coastal Plains region has a climate that is humid due to moisture from the Gulf of Mexico.
The influence of Spanish colonial heritage in Texas
City and place names from Spanish origin-El Paso, San Antonio, Rio Grande Valley, South Padre Island, etc.; speaking both English and Spanish; Spread...
branch (of government)
a part of government. There are 3 "branches" or parts of the US government
Voting
making a choice among alternatives in an election
economy
the wealth and resources of a country or region, especially in terms of the production and consumption of goods and services.
Catholicism
the religion practiced by the Spanish; faith the Indigenous people were forced to convert to
Legislative Branch
the branch of government that makes the laws; Congress-Senate and House of Representatives
Texas Annexation 1845
Texas was originally part of Mexico. American settlers (led by Stephen Austin) received permission to move there (most settlers were cotton farmers)....
Mexican-American War
(1846-1848) The war between the United States and Mexico in which the United States acquired one half of the Mexican territory.
Individual Rights
Basic liberties and rights of all citizens are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.
Lulu Belle Madison White
Civil Rights leader during the 1940s and 1950s who also campaigned for suffrage, equal pay for all, and desegregation of public institutions. She join...
Reconstruction Amendments
13th: abolished and continues to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude, 14th: secured the rights of former slaves after reconstruction, 15th: pro...
laws
society's values and standards that are enforceable in the courts
Citizens
People who had the right to participate in government
Henry B. Gonzalez
This Texan helped to campaign against the bracero program and fight for the rights of Mexican Americans in Texas and nationally; 1st Mexican American...
Coastal Plains Region
Located in East/Southeast Texas. Has the most rain fall and greatest amount of natural resources. First indigenous groups to interact with European co...
U.S. Senate
the upper house of Congress; based on a equal number.
Battle of Gonzales
First battle in the Texas Revolution; Texans fought to keep a cannon that the Mexican troops were trying to take
Diane Nash
An African-American woman who was very involved in the civil rights movement, including the SCLC and the founding of SNCC. Nash was involved in planni...
Karankawa
inhabited the Gulf Coast of Texas from Galveston Bay to Corpus Christi, hunters & gatherers, fishermen, built canoes and long bows, thought to be the...
document
written or printed piece of paper that contains official informationExample: the United States Constitution is a document that is used as a written pl...
1845
Texas was annexed by the United States as the 28th state
Seceed
To leave or withdraw; to break away
Battle of San Jacinto
(1836) Final battle of the Texas Revolution; resulted in the defeat of the Mexican army and independence for Texas; Santa Anna took a siesta and surre...
convert
to turn or change your beliefs or way of thinking
Separation of Powers
Constitutional division of powers between 3 branches that each have specific roles
indigenous people
natives of an area who have been conquered or dominated by others who came later
Republicanism
A form of government in which people elect representatives to create and enforce laws
abolish
to put an end to
poll taxes and literacy tests
How Southern states got around the 15th Amendment, guaranteeing African-Americans the right to vote.
civil rights
the rights of full citizenship and equality under the law
Spanish Colonial Influences on Texas
Spanish Colonial Influences on Texas
Great Plains Region
The area that is called the panhandle of Texas that sits between the Mts. & Basins and the Gulf Coastal Regions. This region contains prairies and rol...
influence
having an effect or impact on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others
Juneteenth
June 19th, the date celebrated as the anniversary of Emancipation Day for enslaved people in Texas
vital
necessary or essential to life
Barbara Jordan
She was the first African-American congresswoman to come from the deep South and first woman ever elected to the Texas Senate (1966); former lawyer an...
Mexican Cession
1848. Awarded as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo after the Mexican American War. U.S. paid $15 million for 525,000 square miles.
1861-1865
American Civil War fought over the issues of slavery, states' rights, and economic and sectional differences between the North and the South.
Mountains and Basins Region
The Texas regions located to the west that borders Mexico. Physical Characteristics: Mountains, Basins, Deserts, and a few Rivers. Driest region in Te...
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the Constitution; shows importance of individual rights
Reconstruction Era
The time after the Civil War between 1866 and 1877 when the institutions and infrastructure of the South were rebuilt.
Spain's primary goal
Converting as many Indigenous people to Catholicism/Christianity and the Spanish way of life
LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens)
This group was organized to support civil rights for all minorities in 1929
elections
a formal and organized process of electing or being elected, especially of members of a political body.
Checks and Balances
A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power
Cesar Chavez
Organized Union Farm Workers (UFW); help migratory farm workers gain better pay & working conditions
Texas Secession
Texas secedes from the Union with the election of Abraham Lincoln; Sam Houston opposed it saying, "You may win southern independence, but I doubt it!"
Dolores Huerta
Mexican American leader who worked to improve life for migrant farm workers; Co-founder of the United Farm Workers Association; helped create the nati...
Slavery
the condition of being owned by another person and being made to work without wages
House of Representatives
the lower house of Congress, consisting of a different number of representatives from each state, depending on population
Black Codes
Laws denying most legal rights to newly freed slaves; passed by southern states following the Civil War
North Central Plains Region
This region is located in the northern center of Texas with prairies and rolling or hilly plains throughout.
Battle of the Alamo
February 24- March 6, 1836*During Texas's revolution against Mexico, Fort Alamo was attacked by the Mexican Army and 187 members of the Texas garrison...
occurance
something that takes place
Sharecropping
A system used on southern farms after the Civil War in which farmers worked land owned by someone else in return for a small portion of the crops.
Spanish Missions
settlements set up by the Spanish in hopes of converting Native Americans to Christianity and "civilizing" them
Democracy
government by the people
John Lewis
American civil rights leader and politician best known for his chairmanship of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and for leading th...
Lyndon B. Johnson
This Texan was a former educator who spent time teaching impoverished children on the Mexican border; as President he signed the civil rights act of 1...
Texas Revolution
the 1836 rebellion in which Texas gained its independence from Mexico
Judicial Branch
Branch of government that decides if laws are carried out fairly/interprets laws; led by the Supreme Court
Conquistadors (conquerors)
Spanish explorers, seek gold, silver, and control over land
Suffrage
the legal right to vote
Reasons for European Exploration
God, Glory, Gold
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