Key Terms in American History

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President

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The elected head of a republican state, especially in the United States, where the President is the head of state and government.

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Declaration of Independence

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A document declaring the US to be independent of the British Crown, signed on July 4, 1776.

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Constitution

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The fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. In the US, it refers to the supreme law of the land, established in 1789.

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Nation

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A large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular country or territory.

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State

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A nation or territory considered as an organized political community under one government. In the US, it also refers to the individual political entities that share sovereignty with the federal government.