OCR GCSE History B key terms

A Protestant movement established in 1934 to resist Nazi interference in the Church’s organisation and religious teaching.

A Spanish conqueror involved in the conquest of the Americas.

A person who objects to military service because it conflicts with deeply held religious, moral or political beliefs.

Compulsory military service, introduced for men in Britain in 1916.

Work to protect historic buildings or remains from deterioration while preserving their historical character.

Strengthening control over conquered territory by establishing effective government and securing obedience.

A local officer responsible for maintaining order, arresting suspects and carrying out duties connected with prisoners and punishments.

The capital of the Byzantine Empire, situated where the Bosphorus links the Black Sea with the Mediterranean world.

Something that remains broadly the same across different periods, despite other alterations.

A wartime classification used by Union authorities for people escaping slavery, treating them as property taken from the enemy that would not be returned. The initial federal policy applied where their labour had supported the Confederacy.

The adoption of a different religion. Conversion to Christianity could involve formal baptism before a person fully abandoned older beliefs.

A street in York where excavations uncovered Viking buildings, objects and waste deposits, revealing details of everyday life.

An official who investigated unnatural deaths, including suspected murders.

Punishment that deliberately inflicts physical pain or injury, such as whipping or branding.

A large company legally organised as a single business, which may own or control many factories and other operations.

Using another piece of evidence to support or check a historical claim.

A machine that separates cotton fibres from their seeds. Eli Whitney invented a version suited to short-staple cotton in 1793.

The cotton-growing region of the southern United States, which expanded westwards and depended heavily on enslaved labour.

Homes owned by a local council and rented to residents.

A sudden attempt by a small group to seize control of the government.

The royal household and the nobles, officials and attendants surrounding a monarch; also the setting in which royal government and ceremonies took place.

A person who attended the royal court and sought or enjoyed the monarch’s favour.

A town where cattle were gathered, traded and loaded onto trains for transport to distant markets.

Skilled work that turns materials into useful or decorative objects.

An offence that challenges the power of rulers or their officials, such as treason.

An offence involving someone else’s possessions or buildings, such as theft, burglary or arson.

An offence that harms or threatens an individual, such as assault or murder.