| American Revolution |
the war of 1775-83 in which the American colonies won their independence from Great Britain. |
| autonomy |
freedom and independence; self-governance. [1/2 definitions] |
| Balkanize |
(often l.c.) to divide up into mutually antagonistic political units too small to maintain their independence or autonomy effectively. |
| British Honduras |
the name of Belize prior to independence in 1981. |
| Cinco de Mayo |
the fifth of May, a Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican army's 1862 victory over the French army at the Battle of Puebla and celebrating Mexican unity and independence. |
| colonial |
of or pertaining to the thirteen British colonies that became the United States, or to the period before they achieved independence. [1/5 definitions] |
| Continental Congress |
the revolutionary assembly, made up of landed representatives of the American colonies, that met between 1774 and 1789 to work out a plan of government and adopted both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. |
| Fourth of July |
in the United States, Independence Day. |
| freedom |
the condition of political or national independence. [1/9 definitions] |
| George Washington |
the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army in the U.S. War of Independence and the first President of the United States (1789-1797). During his presidency, Washington focused on bringing a spirit of unity to the newly formed nation, creating a new capital, and expanding U.S. territory westward (b.1732--d.1799). |
| group home |
a house or other dwelling in which a relatively small group of individuals with disabilities live and receive services to help with their care and to foster independence to the degree possible. |
| guide |
(cap.) a member of the Guides, a world-wide organization for girls that teaches practical skills and independence. [1/11 definitions] |
| Guides |
a world-wide organization for girls that teaches practical skills and independence (prec. by "the"). |
| inalienable rights |
fundamental rights that cannot be removed, surrendered, or transferred to another person. The Declaration of Independence identifies "life, liberty, and the pursuit of independence" as inalienable rights. |
| Independence Day |
a U.S. national holiday celebrated on July 4 in commemoration of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence from England in 1776; Fourth of July. |
| independency |
the state or condition of being independent; independence. [1/2 definitions] |
| individualism |
a theory that stresses the rights, liberties, and independence of the individual. [1/2 definitions] |
| individualist |
a person who thinks and acts with great independence. |
| Jawaharlal Nehru |
a leader of the Indian independence movement and, from 1947 to 1964, first prime minister of the Republic of India. Nehru's name is often preceded by the word "pandit," an Indian title of respect (b.1889--d.1964). |
| John Adams |
the second President of the United States (1797-1801), who had been a strong advocate of American independence from Great Britain as well as one of the authors of the Declaration of Independence. President Adams was also the first U.S. Vice President under his predecessor George Washington (b.1735--d.1826). |
| Liberty Bell |
the bronze bell of Philadelphia's Independence Hall, rung on July 8, 1776, to proclaim the independence of the United States. |