| $300,000: |
$300,000 in 1870 has the purchasing value of approximately $4,463,000 today |
| abject: |
miserable, wretched |
| abridged: |
shortened |
| adjourned: |
ended the meeting |
| alienation: |
transfer |
| amalgamation: |
interracial mariage, mixing of (in this case races) |
| arbitrary: |
random |
| attested: |
proven |
| avowed: |
sworn by |
| beneficent: |
doing good |
| benevolence : |
acts of kindness or good will |
| blasphemy: |
profanity, curses |
| bodily correction: |
physical punishment |
| branch of benevolence: |
areas of reform, charitable work |
| breeches: |
pants |
| canvass: |
solicit votes, a campaign strategy |
| circular: |
a letter distributed to a large number of people; a mass mailing |
| commencement: |
opening |
| competent: |
reasonable, adequate |
| conceded: |
granted as right or privilege |
| concession: |
something given up |
| conscript: |
draft, draft into the military service |
| constrained: |
limited, restricted |
| consummation: |
the making of something complete or perfect |
| contemplating: |
suggesting |
| contingent: |
representative group |
| conveyance: |
transfer, transfer of property |
| convulsion: |
complexity, twisting; a major war |
| correction: |
punishment |
| custody: |
protective care, guardianship |
| decorum: |
politeness, appropriate behavior |
| deem: |
think |
| degrade: |
dishonor, reduce to a lower status |
| design: |
plan |
| diabolical: |
devil-like |
| disappointed: |
surprised |
| discern: |
recognize, perceive, distinguish |
| distracted: |
mentally ill, not of sound mind |
| doctrines: |
principles |
| elective franchise: |
right to vote |
| employment: |
activity |
| endeavored: |
worked |
| endeavoring: |
trying hard, struggling |
| endowed: |
provided with income |
| ensuing: |
coming |
| estate: |
property |
| exercise: |
put into action |
| extemporaneous: |
spoken without preparation, without advance preparation or notes |
| forensic: |
pertaining to public debate, rhetorical, used in effective or persuasive speech or writing |
| forfeit: |
give up |
| heirs male of their bodies: |
sons |
| humane: |
compassionate, kind, charitable |
| idiot: |
individual with developmental delays; mentally retarded |
| impromptus: |
spontaneous, unprepared |
| inalienable: |
absolute, nonnegotiable |
| incalculably: |
enormously |
| indulged: |
permitted |
| infidelity: |
unfaithfulness, esp. adultery |
| injuries: |
wrongs, offenses |
| injurious: |
harmful |
| intestate: |
without a will |
| Jezebel: |
a wicked, shameless woman |
| juncture: |
point of time |
| just reason: |
good reason |
| lamentable: |
regrettable, miserable |
| latent: |
hidden, undeveloped, not visible |
| licentiousness: |
immorality, promiscuity |
| lucid: |
clear |
| manifested: |
shown |
| menace: |
nuisance, threat |
| merits: |
good points |
| monopolize: |
dominate, take complete control of |
| motley: |
mixed breed |
| municipal suffrage: |
right to vote in town/city elections |
| notoriously: |
widely known (negative connotation) |
| occupation: |
activity |
| orated: |
spoke |
| peculiar state of commercial affairs: |
an economic depression |
| peculiar: |
extraordinary |
| phonographic: |
using a kind of shorthand |
| pie-bald: |
(usually in reference to an animal) with patches of color |
| product of her industry: |
her earnings |
| promiscuous: |
random or indiscriminate |
| Providence: |
God or religious tradition |
| provocation: |
an act or instance that can be seen as an insult or as offensive |
| ratified: |
approved |
| recompense: |
payment |
| redress: |
correct, make right |
| referendum: |
direct popular vote on a political question |
| relieved: |
helped |
| remuneration: |
payment |
| renovating: |
reforming |
| rouse: |
wake, excite |
| sanction: |
approval |
| scanty remuneration: |
little pay |
| scholars: |
students |
| school suffrage: |
right to vote in school board elections |
| serviceable: |
useful |
| sphere: |
proper place, area of influence or action |
| stripes: |
whipping |
| submit: |
obey |
| subscriptions: |
pledges (of money) |
| suffrage states: |
states where women may vote |
| superseded: |
replaced, taken over by |
| toil: |
slow hard work |
| tyranny: |
cruel and arbitrary use of power |
| unimpeded: |
uninterrupted |
| usurpation: |
the seizure or taking wrongfully, wrongful seizure |
| utopia: |
an imagined perfect place or state of things, ideal place or state |
| vagabond: |
a wanderer, bum |
| want: |
lack |
| wholesome: |
healthy |
| wrought: |
created, literally shaped by hammering |
