Glossary

aware of, or familiar with

 

deals with, or is important to understanding

obviously and purposely insulting

the one that starts a fight or argument

a proud supporter or defender of America, its ideals, its people and its way of life

small weapons that you can hold in your hand.

word used in context:
"Guns, swords and clubs are some of the of arms used during the Revolutionary War."  

Background research means collecting and reviewing ideas and information that has already been published about a place or particular topic.  Getting a good sense of the research already done on your topic is the first step in good historical inquiry, and any research!

A bayonet is a small knife or blade that is attached to the end of a long rifle. Bayonets are used to stab when a soldier is very close to the enemy.

 

wanting to starting a fight, and taking actions to make a fight happen

Bias is a preference for one thing and/or a dislike for another. Bias is like a frame that shapes how someone sees and interprets an event.

not at fault for something bad that has happened

short, heavy clubs that are used as weapons

being ready to use weapons, like guns and swords

In this case, 'chest' means a room where the money from taxes, customs and other payments was stored for safe keeping, waiting to be sent back to England.  

conditions, details or facts that impact how people see an event

an officer (a person with a high military rank) who is in charge of a group of soldiers 

noisy confusion

the circumstances that surround something or in which they take place

to contradict means that things disagree with each other in the details and/or general facts and ideas.  

 

carry or communicate 

to further confirm or provide additional evidence or proof for something

A question that guides your research. A critical question can usually (but not always) answered with information and evaluation of your research documents. 

spoke for someone in court. When you defend someone in court, you are trying to prevent them from being convicted of a crime.

being especially friendly, respectful or polite

intentionally and with careful thought.  Something done deliberately is the opposite of something done accidentally.

testimony that is given under oath to a court of law.  Depositions are usually written down and then read later, in court, when the witness cannot be in the courtroom. 

fired from the job

something that is a record of information. A book, newspaper, photograph, song, architecture and an art work can all be considered documents. 

became more obvious or apparent

trying to provoke a fight with the soldiers

printed, usually from a hand-etched metal plate

"to evaluate" means to think about and judge the importance or quality of something

 

something important or unusual that has already happened or will happen

 

a section of a larger document, usually a written work

hurt the soldier because of their anger about the earlier fight

main concern

In this case, "Friday, the second instant" means Friday, March 2, 1770.  See  the definition for 'instant' for more information on how the word 'instant' is used in old documents.

a feeling of anger that lasts a long time. Usually people who hold a 'grudge' want 'pay-back!'

very unkind or disgusting

very unfriendly, dangerous

in this case, 'identification' means a connection with.  The red color of the blood and the red color of the soldiers' uniforms are the same. This use of color is a way that visual documents can send visual messages, connecting parts of a picture together and, in this case, assigning blame.

something that happens that could have serious consequences later

impossible to keep from happening

An investigation with specific steps that helps you find and understand information.

deliberately rude and disrespectful

In old texts, 'instant' means the 'the one that just occured' and is always tied to a day.  In this case, 'On the 2d instant' means 'On March 2, 1770' because the testimony was given on March 12, 1770; March 2nd is the day with that number that most recently occured. 

immediately died

rudely; purposely offensive

things that someone plans to do

an explanation of the meaning of something.  A historical interpretation often highlights some parts of an event and pays less attention to others.

In this case, interruption means 'disturbance.'  The soldier is saying that if the townspeople make any trouble that causes a public disturbance, the soldiers are ready to act. 

a regular worker, no longer an apprentice (someone learning a job), but not yet an expert (master craftsman)

judges in a court of law

a reason that explains why

In visual documents and artwork in general, 'line' means the direction of movement captured by the art. When thinking about 'line,' think about the direction the artwork leads you to look, including where you begin when you look at the artwork, and where your eyes are drawn to look after that.   

dishonest, unprincipled low-life scavengers

This is a very insulting way to describe the British soldiers!  They were called 'lobsters' for two reasons: one is that lobsters are bright red when cooked, the same color as the soldiers' uniforms; the other is that lobsters are scavengers and, in colonial times, considered the lowest form of animal life. 

Scoundrel means a dishonest or unprincipled person.  Add them together and you see that the crowd was calling the soldiers 'dishonest, unprincipled, low-life scavengers.'

safely kept or stored

wanting to cause harm or pain to another

sad event

a group of soldiers or military machines organized in a very precise pattern. 

the front, open end of a gun where the bullet comes out

In this case, naked means that the men did not have any weapons with them to use in a fight.

taking no side, especially in a fight, argument or debate

well known for a negative or bad reason

offensive, unpleasant and unwanted

'On the contrary' is a phrase that means the information that will follow is the opposite or contradicts the information that has just been suggested.  You could also use 'instead,' or 'rather' to mean the same contrast of ideas.

we were about to be seriously hurt or killed

an outdoor bathroom

a broad understanding of the key ideas or parts

a formal way of referring to one person or a group that is together

gun, musket or rifle

guns, muskets or rifles

stealing

how the parts of a visual work are arranged in relation to each other

in attendance; at the particular place

something that makes someone take action, especially in anger

causing someone to react or respond

someone who acts dishonestly

likely to be true and accurate

a place where rope is made

 

A source that was created later by someone who was not at the event you are researching.  Secondary sources usually interpret or analyze an event or theme, or put it in a broader historical context.

a soldier who is guarding an entrance

a group of soldiers

how someone is thinking, and why

when military personnel, like soldiers and officers, are sent to a place to do their military work.  Usually, people are stationed far away from their homes.

"During the Iraq War, many U.S. Soldiers were stationed in Baghdad."

emphasizes; gives more importance to

teased in a way to encourage a response

evidence that a witness gives in a court of law

a central, unifying principle or idea

 

a thesis statement clearly expresses the author's opinion on the subject and can be argued and supported with evidence. 

a space of time, usually years, which is named by the central theme, event or idea that characterized it.  The Era of the American Revolution, the Renaissance, and the Colonial Period are all historical time periods. 

In BookBuilder, a word that has a dotted line underneath it is a word that is linked to the glossary.  You got to this definition by clicking on the underlined words, so you already know how it works!  

A vault, in colonial times, was another word for an outhouse (an outdoor bathroom). Cleaning a vault meant that you were emptying the hole that people went to the bathroom into. 

 

used insulting, offensive language

those who are harmed

had a meeting with

happened; occured; took place

sold to, shared or seen by a lot of people.