A guide to the language of history
History glossary
Understand the people, places and ideas behind the stories. Find a term, read its meaning, then explore it in context.
145–180 of 797 terms
Confucianism
an ethical and political tradition associated with Confucius that emphasised moral rule, ritual, education, hierarchy, and social duties.
Congress
the two-house legislature of the United States, made up of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Congress of Racial Equality
the civil rights organisation founded in 1942 that organised the first Freedom Ride of 1961.
conscription
compulsory military service required by the state.
Constantinople
the eastern Roman capital founded by Constantine, now the city of Istanbul in Turkey.
Constitution
the basic law establishing the United States government and its powers.
constitutional
relating to the basic legal rules and institutions of a state.
Constitutional monarchy
a monarchy where the ruler's power is limited by law, parliament, or a constitution.
consuls
the two annually elected chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, each able to check the other's power.
Containment
the Cold War policy of trying to stop communism from spreading to new countries.
Continental Congress
the intercolonial assembly that coordinated resistance, declared independence, and directed the Revolutionary War.
corvus
a Roman boarding device used in the First Punic War to turn naval encounters into infantry combat.
Council of 500
the Athenian citizen council that prepared business for the Assembly after Cleisthenes' reforms.
counterterrorism
policies and operations intended to prevent or respond to terrorism.
coup
an attempt to seize power outside normal constitutional rules.
Cranmer's Prayer Book
Thomas Cranmer's English liturgy that shaped Protestant worship under Edward VI and Elizabeth I.
crusade
a religiously sanctioned military expedition, especially those called by Latin Christian leaders in the medieval period.
Cuban Missile Crisis
the 1962 confrontation over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba that brought the world close to nuclear war.
Cult
an organized system of worship, ritual service, offerings, and temple activity.
cult of personality
the promotion of a leader as an extraordinary, almost infallible figure through propaganda and ritual.
Cultural Revolution
Mao's 1966-1976 campaign that mobilized mass struggle against perceived enemies in party, culture, and society.
Cuneiform
an early writing system made by pressing wedge-shaped marks into clay.
D-Day
the Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944 that opened a major Western Front against Nazi Germany.
daimyo
powerful regional lords who governed domains in early modern Japan.
Danelaw
the Viking-influenced region of eastern and northern England under Danish law and settlement.
Dayton Accords
the 1995 peace agreement that ended the Bosnian War and created Bosnia's postwar constitutional structure.
Declaration of the Rights of Man
the 1789 statement of revolutionary principles declaring rights, legal equality, and national sovereignty.
Decolonisation
the process by which colonies gained independence from imperial rule.
decolonization
the process by which colonies gained independence from imperial rule.
Defiance Campaign
the 1952 mass civil disobedience campaign against apartheid laws.
Delian League
an alliance of Greek states led by Athens after the Persian Wars.
Democracy
a political system in which citizens take part in choosing or making decisions about government.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea
the official name of North Korea, proclaimed under Kim Il Sung in 1948.
Democratic-Republicans
the early U.S. party associated with Jefferson and Madison, favoring limited federal power and agrarian republicanism.
Department of Homeland Security
the U.S. federal department created after 9/11 to coordinate domestic security and emergency protection.
desegregation
ending enforced racial separation in schools and other institutions.
