Key terms & definitions

The energy store associated with the position of objects in a gravitational field; it increases when an object is raised.

A directional growth response to gravity; also called geotropism.

The attractive force between objects with mass; it pulls the material in a nebula inwards.

A system in which water flows from a higher source to lower users under gravity, reducing the need for powered pumping.

Farm animals, such as cattle, sheep and goats, that feed on grass and other vegetation.

Coating a cooking surface with a thin, even layer of fat, such as softened butter, to help prevent food sticking.

A nineteenth-century name applied by white explorers and settlers to a broad area between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, expressing their belief that it was unsuitable for farming and settlement.

A wave of Protestant religious revivals across the British Atlantic in the eighteenth century, stressing personal faith and powerful emotional religious experiences.

England, Scotland and Wales collectively; it does not include Northern Ireland.

The dispute over who should inherit the Scottish throne, which Edward I adjudicated, choosing John Balliol in 1292.

The belief that God had placed creation in a fixed hierarchy, making social rank and obedience part of a divinely ordered world.

A belief that everything in creation has a fixed position within a divinely ordered hierarchy. Disrupting that hierarchy threatens the natural and social order.

Jesus’ instruction to his followers to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19).

The severe international economic downturn that followed the Wall Street Crash of 1929, bringing falling production, business failures and mass unemployment.

Hitler’s aim of creating one state containing all German-speaking people.

The inner struggle to live rightly and follow God's will in Islam.

The prospect of receiving substantial wealth or property. Pip’s expectations also include money immediately available for his education and maintenance.

The crisis in Ireland, usually dated 1845–1852, in which potato blight destroyed a major food crop, causing widespread hunger, disease, death and emigration.

A large room used for communal dining, receiving guests and displaying a lord’s status.

A large Viking force that arrived in England in 865 and campaigned to conquer Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

The title used by the ruler of the Persian Empire; Bessus claimed it after Darius III’s death.

Mao’s second Five-Year Plan, dated 1958–62, intended to accelerate China’s economic transformation through mass mobilisation and collective production.

The large-scale movement of black Americans from the southern USA to northern cities, seeking work and escape from racial oppression.

The major celebration in honour of Athena, including religious ceremonies and competitions.

The larger Panathenaic festival held every four years in honour of Athena, combining contests with a procession, the presentation of a garment and sacrifice.

The Soviet name for the war against Nazi Germany from June 1941 to 1945, emphasising the defence of the homeland.

The largely open grassland region of central North America, where limited rainfall and few trees made settlement and farming difficult.

Stalin’s campaign of repression, especially in 1936–1938, involving mass arrests, imprisonment and executions of supposed enemies.

The building and improvement of houses during the Elizabethan period, especially as prosperous owners invested in comfort and displays of wealth.

Stalin’s return to more traditional family policies in 1936, including banning abortion and making divorce more difficult and expensive.