This word keeps coming up in all of my reading in and around the Civil War. Have you noticed it, too? Do you know what it means? I felt I understood it, but when I tried to explain it I had a harder time than I thought I would - a sure sign that I didn't have a really good grasp on the meaning. So...
Despot: Despotism is a form of government in which someone (it can be on person or a group of people) whole rule with absolute power. So to go back to your studies last year and two examples would be Robespierre and Cromwell. The word has a Greek origin which means 'master' or 'the one with the power'.
This word has a negative meaning, or at least we use it in a negative way. I don't think it would be a compliment to say, "Your such a great despot!" Two words which mean the same thing that you are probably more familiar with are tyrant and dictator.
In this time period this word was being batted back and forth accusingly by both sides. As you continue to read over the next few weeks look out for it. Would you say that there was anyone acting as a despot in the United States during this time? Why would this be such a common word in the writing from and about this time period?
As the semester has gone on I have not kept up with vocabulary very well. Be on the look out for interesting words - especially those that seem to turn up often in different places! Email them or bring them up in class, especially words you don't understand.
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