AQA GCSE History key terms

A system in which men hold most power and authority in society.

An American colonist who supported the movement to break away from British rule.

A person who supports artists or performers through money, protection or influence.

Support given by a powerful or wealthy person, such as commissioning an artist’s work or rewarding political loyalty with money, land or titles.

The idea that communist and capitalist states could exist alongside one another without going to war.

An antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 after he observed that a mould prevented nearby bacteria from growing.

Secret US government reports about American involvement in Vietnam, leaked to newspapers and published in 1971.

The communist state proclaimed by Mao Tse-tung in October 1949 after victory in the Chinese Civil War.

A boundary established in 1834 intended to separate Indigenous lands in the west from white settlement, guarded by army forts.

Unfair or hostile treatment of people because of their religion, identity or beliefs.

The period from 1629 to 1640 when Charles I governed England without calling Parliament.

A building used to isolate and care for people suffering from an infectious disease such as plague.

A formal request asking an authority to remedy a complaint or injustice.

The businesses involved in researching, developing and manufacturing medicines.

The use or threat of force to put pressure on those in authority.

A university-trained medical practitioner who diagnosed illness and prescribed treatments, usually charging high fees.

The study of how the body and its organs work.

Gathering outside a workplace to publicise a dispute and persuade others not to enter or work there.

A series of northern English uprisings in 1536 against Henry VIII’s religious changes and government, followed by renewed unrest and repression in 1537.

An early migrant who moved into an area to establish a farm or settlement.

Attacking and robbing ships at sea without state authorisation.

Extracting valuable minerals from deposits of sand or gravel, often by using water to wash away the surrounding material.

The Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains of North America, including the Sioux, Cheyenne and Comanche; their cultures and ways of life varied.

A large agricultural estate producing a crop for sale, such as sugar. Caribbean sugar plantations relied heavily on enslaved labour.

Surgery that repairs or reconstructs damaged body tissues, including skin and facial features.

A permanent building designed for the performance of plays.

A direct vote by the electorate on a particular political question, also called a referendum.