claim

The gold prospectors build a shack on their claim.

In 1852 he joins his uncle on a gold claim outside of San Francisco.

a section of land declared as belonging to one person or

noun: claim

group of people (p. 430)

He decides to take his company to the Sacramento delta to build levees.

levee

The former president, who was known for his diplomacy, united the warring countries.

an embankment built along a river to keep the river from overflowing (p. 430)

noun levee

ratification

The ratification of the new law increased our taxes, but helped buy new computers for the public schools.

When the delegates reached a final draft, Franklin spoke to them, urging all to sign it. They would exert the most decisive influence during the ratification debate in the states.

noun

a device used to separate gold from sand and dirt (p. 430)

rocker

despotism

I cannot imagine living under despotism because I have lived under a democratic government all my life.

…I believe further that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted to need despotic government, being incapable of any other.

prospectto look for gold

(p. 432)

verb

constituent

The local government polled the thousands of constituents to gather information about the hopes and thoughts of the people.

If every one of us in returning to our constituents were to report the objections he has had to it, and use his influence to gain partisans in support of them, we might prevent its being generally received…

a solid lump (p. 437)

noun

nugget

gold flakes

gold nugget with a quarter