Lesson 5: What Is a Democracy?

Terms

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)  Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States. Many people think he was one of our best presidents. He helped to keep our country from dividing into two countries during the Civil War. He also helped to end slavery.

Civil War (1861-1865)  The war between the Northern and Southern states. It ended slavery in the United States.

elect  To elect is to choose someone to be a representative in your government. We elect presidents. We also elect members of Congress. And we elect members of governments in our states, cities, and communities.

Gettysburg Address (1863)  This is a famous speech that President Abraham Lincoln gave at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This was where one of the most important battles of the Civil War was fought. One of the most important ideas in the speech is that our government is supposed to be a "government of the people, by the people, for the people."

majority  One more than half of a group of people.

minority  One less than half of a group of people.

Northern states  The states in the Northern part of the United States that fought against the Southern states in the Civil War.

of the people, by the people, for the people  This means that the government of the United States was created by the people.

slaves  A person who is not free and who is forced to work for another person.

Southern states  The states that wanted to separate from the United States and form their own country during the Civil War. They were states in the Southern part of the country where there was the most slavery.