OCR GCSE History A key terms

The practice of a man keeping another woman in addition to his wife, without giving her the same status as a wife.

The seizure of property by an authority, often as punishment or to transfer it to new owners.

Following the behaviour expected by those in authority, whether from agreement, pressure or fear.

The United States legislature, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Taking control of a territory and its people through military force.

A person who refuses military service, or particular military duties, because of deeply held moral or religious beliefs.

Compulsory service in the armed forces, required by the government.

An area protected for its special architectural or historic interest, helping to preserve its character.

The process of strengthening control over government and removing organisations or individuals capable of challenging that control.

An officer responsible for a castle’s security and the staff stationed there.

An area that elects one or more representatives to Parliament.

A set of rules establishing the institutions of government, their powers and their relationships.

A system in which the monarch governs within legal limits rather than exercising unrestricted personal power.

The growing importance of buying and using goods, rather than simply producing necessities for oneself, in everyday life.

The American policy of attempting to prevent communism from spreading to additional countries.

An image made during the period being studied, although its accuracy still depends on the artist’s knowledge, purpose and choices.

The Parliament which assembled on 25 April 1660 and arranged the initial Restoration settlement. It was not summoned by a reigning monarch.

Legislation restricting imported grain to protect domestic producers; the Corn Law of 1815 limited imports until British grain prices reached a specified level.

Support for an interpretation from another source, particularly one produced independently.

An interpretation which challenges revisionist defences of appeasement, especially by arguing that Chamberlain had alternatives despite the difficulties he faced.

A label used by the Chinese Communist government for someone accused of seeking to undermine the Communist revolution or restore the previous order.

Measures intended to prevent terrorist attacks, identify those planning them and respond to threats.

The financial court established in 1536 to administer property and income acquired by the Crown through the dissolution.

The critical nickname for Roosevelt’s 1937 proposal to expand the Supreme Court, which opponents believed would let him appoint judges sympathetic to the New Deal.

A written record of a court’s business, traditionally kept on a roll of parchment.

The Solemn League and Covenant: an agreement linking Parliament and its Scottish allies to religious reform, including the removal of bishops.

Scottish supporters of a covenant, or agreement, defending their Protestant Church against Charles I’s religious changes.

A gap between government statements and what the public believes to be true, particularly associated with official claims about progress in the Vietnam War.