100 Words and Terms Every U.S. Citizen Should Know

No.	Term	Definition
1.	Abolitionist	Activist who fought to end slavery.
2.	Affordable Care Act	Landmark U.S. health law.
3.	All-nighter	Staying awake all night.
4.	Amendment	Official change to the U.S. Constitution.
5.	Appalachians	Mountain range in the eastern U.S.
6.	Apple pie	Symbol of traditional American culture.
7.	Ballpark figure	Rough estimate.
8.	Barbecue	Social event centered on grilling.
9.	Baseball	America’s “national pastime.”
10.	Bayou	Swampy water area in Louisiana.
11.	Bigfoot	Mythical North American creature.
12.	Bill of Rights	First ten amendments to the Constitution.
13.	Blizzard	Severe snowstorm.
14.	Blue state	State that usually votes Democrat.
15.	Bluegrass	American roots music style.
16.	Blues	Music genre rooted in African American traditions.
17.	Boomtown	Rapidly growing city.
18.	Bootleg	Illegally made or distributed liquor.
19.	Broadway	New York theater district.
20.	Burger	Iconic American food staple.
21.	Campfire	Outdoor fire for cooking and gathering.
22.	Catch-22	No-win situation.
23.	Checks and balances	System of shared government power.
24.	Civil Rights Movement	Struggle for racial equality.
25.	Cold War	U.S.–Soviet rivalry without direct fighting.
26.	Dime a dozen	Very common.
27.	Digital divide	Gap in internet access.
28.	Drive-in	Outdoor movie theater for cars.
29.	Drive-thru	Service window for cars.
30.	Electoral College	Body that elects the president.
31.	Emancipation Proclamation	Order freeing enslaved people.
32.	Everglades	Wetland ecosystem in Florida.
33.	Fake news	False information presented as fact.
34.	Filibuster	Delaying tactic in the Senate.
35.	Founding Fathers	Leaders who established the U.S.
36.	Fourth of July	Independence Day holiday.
37.	Frontier	Unsettled or unexplored region.
38.	Gerrymandering	Manipulating district lines for advantage.
39.	Gig economy	Temporary contract work system.
40.	Gold Rush	19th-century rush for gold in California.
41.	Grand Canyon	Iconic natural landmark in Arizona.
42.	Gravy train	Easy source of money.
43.	Great Depression	Severe 1930s economic downturn.
44.	Great Plains	Vast central grasslands.
45.	Greenback	Slang for U.S. paper money.
46.	Highway patrol	State police unit for roads.
47.	Hollywood	Center of the U.S. film industry.
48.	Hollywood ending	Overly happy conclusion.
49.	Hotdog	Popular American street food.
50.	Hustle	Energetic effort or side job.
51.	Impeachment	Charging an official with misconduct.
52.	Jazz	Uniquely American music genre.
53.	Jazz Age	Cultural era of the 1920s.
54.	Lame duck	Official with little influence before leaving.
55.	Lobbyist	Person influencing lawmakers for groups.
56.	Lottery	Game of chance for money.
57.	Manifest Destiny	Belief in U.S. expansion westward.
58.	Mardi Gras	New Orleans carnival festival.
59.	Melting pot	Metaphor for cultural diversity.
60.	Mississippi River	Major U.S. waterway.
61.	Moonshine	Illegally made liquor.
62.	Nickel-and-dime	Small charges that add up.
63.	Niagara Falls	Famous U.S.–Canada waterfall.
64.	Opioid crisis	Widespread drug epidemic.
65.	Preamble	Introduction to the Constitution.
66.	Prohibition	Alcohol ban from 1920–1933.
67.	Red state	State that usually votes Republican.
68.	Red tape	Excessive bureaucracy.
69.	Reconstruction	Period after the Civil War.
70.	Road trip	Long journey by car.
71.	Roadside diner	Classic small-town eatery.
72.	Route 66	Historic American highway.
73.	Selfie	Self-taken photo.
74.	Sheriff	Elected local law enforcement officer.
75.	Side hustle	Secondary income source.
76.	Silicon Valley	Hub of technology companies.
77.	Skyscraper	Very tall building.
78.	Smithsonian	Group of national museums.
79.	Snowbird	Person who moves south for winter.
80.	Social media	Online platforms for communication.
81.	Statue of Liberty	Symbol of freedom and immigration.
82.	Student debt	Loans for higher education.
83.	Super Bowl	U.S. football championship game.
84.	Swing state	State that can vote either way.
85.	Tech boom	Rapid rise of technology sector.
86.	Thanksgiving	Holiday of gratitude and feasting.
87.	Times Square	Famous New York landmark.
88.	Town hall	Public meeting for discussion.
89.	Trail of Tears	Forced Native American removal.
90.	Uncle Sam	National personification of the U.S.
91.	Universal healthcare	System providing care to all citizens.
92.	Veto	President’s power to reject legislation.
93.	Voting rights	Laws governing access to voting.
94.	Watergate	Scandal leading to Nixon’s resignation.
95.	White House	U.S. president’s residence.
96.	Wild West	Frontier period of expansion and lawlessness.
97.	Y’all	Southern contraction of “you all.”
98.	Yankee	Northerner or American in general.
99.	Yellowstone	First U.S. national park.
100.	Yosemite	Iconic California national park.