Geography Vocabulary
Maryland Learning Outcomes

Grade 4 Social Studies Content Vocabulary
Unit 4

authority – the right to use power to control the behaviors of others

burgess – a representative in the legislature of colonial Virginia or Maryland

capital resources – goods made by people and used to produce other goods and services (Examples include tools, roads, bridges, factories, machinery, glue, lumber, chalk, rope, textbooks, and workbooks.)

cash crop – a crop that people raise to sell rather than to use themselves

charter – an official paper in which certain rights are given by a government to a person, group, or business

colonist – a person who lives in a land ruled by a distant country

colonization – the act of forming a colony

colony – a land ruled by a distant country

common – an open area shared by the settlement; an area where sheep and cattle graze

compact – an agreement

compromise – a way to settle conflict by all sides agreeing to give up part of what they want

constitution – a written plan of government

demand – the amount of a resource or product buyers are willing and able to buy at different possible prices

discrimination – unfair treatment of a person or group of people

economic activities – production, buying, and selling

economic growth – producing more goods and services at the present time than were produced in the past

human characteristics – describe the people of the place (past and present), their human-made features (buildings, etc.), languages, religions, economic activities, and political systems

human resources – people doing physical or mental work to produce goods or services Examples include teachers, cooks, bus drivers, and carpenters.

human-made features – changes people have made to the land (bridges, buildings, roads, tunnels, etc.)

immigrant – a person who comes into a country to make a new home

incentives – the things that make people want to work, to try, etc.

indentured servant – a person who agreed to work for another person without pay for a certain length of time in exchange for passage to North America

indigo – a plant from which a blue dye can be made

justice – the act of being fair and honest

legislature – the lawmaking branch of government

majority rule – the political idea that the majority of an organized group should have the power to make decisions for the whole group

mission – A small religious settlement

natural resources – gifts of nature that can be used to produce goods and services

opportunity cost – the next best (second-best) choice that is given up when a decision is made

physical characteristic – describe the natural environment of a place. They include physical features (landforms and bodies of water), weather and climate, soil, plants, and animal life.

pilgrim – a person who makes a journey for religious reasons

plantation – a huge farm

political system – a set of democratic principles and ideas that citizens follow

Presidio – a Spanish fort

proprietary colony – a colony owned and ruled by one person who was chosen by a king or queen

proprietor – an owner

prosperity – economic success

public office –a job a person is elected to do

Puritan – a member of the Church of England who settled in North America to follow Christian beliefs in a more “pure” way

raw material – a natural resource that can be used to make a product

royal colony – a colony ruled directly by a monarch

sea dog – a commander of English warships that attacked Spanish ships carrying treasure

sedition – speech or behavior that causes other people to work against a government

self-rule – control of one’s own government.

settlement – a place where people have gone to settle

settlers – people who settle in a new country

specialize – to work at one kind of job or part of a job and do it well

stock – a share of ownership in a business

supply – the amount of a resource or product sellers are willing and able to sell at various possible prices

tolerate – to allow something to go on without trying to stop it

town meeting – an assembly in the New England colonies in which male landowners could take part in government

trade – the exchange of resources, goods, and services through barter or the use of money

trial by jury – the right of a person accused of a crime to be tried by a jury, or group of fellow citizens