Cultural Quotes
What is the significance of the phrase, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.."?
a line from the sonnet "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus - describes the state of immigrating masses; it is inscribed on a plaque on the base of the Statue of Liberty.
What is altruism?
It is the practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others.
Who is "Big Brother"?
It is the watch group from George Orwell's 1984. The term is used today to refer to those who invade the privacy of others.
What was "feudalism"?
It was a socioeconomic system of the Middle Ages in which lords were bound to their subjects and vice versa. People were born into their social class and were not permitted to advance.
What was the Louisiana Purchase?
It was a land deal between the United States and France, in which the U.S. acquired approximately 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million.
To what does a "phoenix rising from the ashes" mean?
Anyone who makes a dramatic recovery from defeat or adversity. From mythology, the phoenix, a bird similar to an eagle, would be consumed by flames at the end of its life, only to be reborn from the ashes of its own funeral pyre.
To what does "blue-collar" refer?
It is the term used to refer to manual laborers. They term comes from the actual color of specialized shirts worn by those workers - such as mechanics and miners.
What was "Camelot"?
It was the name of King Arthur's castle and court. It was home to the best and brightest knights. The presidency of JFK was called an American Camelot because of the idealism associated with the myth of King Arthur and his "perfect" kingdom, one where truth, goodness and beauty ruled.
What was the "Industrial Revolution"?
It was the period of rapid growth, initially in England and then in the United States. The invention of industrialized machines, such as the steam engine, led to mass migration to cities.
What was the "Underground Railroad"?
A network of houses that abolitionists used to helps slaves escape to freedom in the north, either in free states or Canada.
Harriet Tubman was the conductor on the "Underground Railroad".
To what do the "alpha" and "omega" refer?
They are the first and last letter of the Greek alphabet; used in conjunction, they represent God, who is beginning and the end.
What is "Middle America"?
It refers to a collective group of average middle-class Americans.
What is "Shangri-La"?
From James Hilton's Lost Horizon, is a fictional location of peace and everlasting youth. Today any refuge from the troubles of the world is called "Shangri-La".
What was the "Renaissance"?
Meaning "rebirth", it is the period when western Europe rediscovered ancient literary works from Greek and Roman cultures. Referred to as the early modern period.
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Galileo were major figures as Shakespeare was for England.
What was the "California Gold Rush"?
A massive movement of settlers to California a year after gold was discovered.
Prospector's, known as forty-niners, headed west helping develop San Francisco into a major city thus allowing California admission into the Union.
What does "throw down the gauntlet" mean?
Refers to an issuance of a challenge. It derives from medieval combat, when a knight would throw his glove, or gauntlet, at the feet of the knight being challenged.
What is a "defense mechanism"?
It's a Freudian term that refers to an unconscious avoidance of something that produces anxiety.
Who was Judas Iscariot?
He was one of the original twelve Apostles. He was the one who betrayed Jesus. Judas, like Benedict Arnold, is a name used for one who betrays another.
What was the "Inquisition"?
A court established by the Roman Catholic Church in the 13th century to try cases of heresy. Those found guilty were often executed by civil courts. Most active in Spain, where torture was used to elicit confessions.
In today's usage, any harsh or unjust interrogation is called an "inquisition".
What was the "Trail of Tears"?
Refers to the forced relocation of Cherokee Indians to reservations west of the Mississippi River. Forced by the Treaty of New Echota and the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
Other tribes forced to move include Seminole and Choctaw.
What does the phrase "the die is cast" mean?
It's the idea that there is no turning back. It derives from gambling where play is determined by the throw of the dice; once the dice are thrown, the caster must live with the outcome.
What are "mores"?
They are the customs and manners of a social group or culture. Mores often serve as moral guidelines for acceptable behavior but may not be religious or ethical in nature.
What is "Utopia"?
It is Sir Thomas Moore's novel of his vision for the future. In this book, he describes a society that is free of pain and suffering.
Today, any ideal state is considered utopian.
What was the "Victorian Era"?
The time when Queen Victoria ruled England, which was one of the most powerful and industrialized nations in the world.
The period was marked by extended peace, prosperity, ushering in an age of imperialism and colonialism.
What was "Sherman's march to the sea"?
The destructive movement of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman's troops from Atlanta to the Georgia coast in 1864. After burning Atlanta, his men obliterated anything might be useful to the South - including railroads, buildings, roads, houses and livestock.