Social Studies teachers: Check out these interactive, learnable Vocabulary Lists based on primary source documents.

(Want to make your own? It's free and easy. Watch this short video to learn how.) 

The Atlantic Charter - Churchill/Roosevelt (1941) 26 words
In August 1941 the leaders of Britain and the United States signed the Atlantic Charter. This agreement outlined the goals of the two nations. It helped to shape the alliance that would defeat Nazi Germany in World War II.

Britain's Finest Hour Speech - Winston Churchill (1940) 82 words
In May of 1940, Nazi Germany launched a massive attack and swiftly conquered most of Western Europe. Britain suddenly found itself alone, facing a possible invasion by the powerful German military. On June 18th British Prime Minister Winston Churchill warned his nation of the dangers ahead and promised that, "if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"

The Dred Scott Decision (1857) 25 words
In March of 1857, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney delivered the majority opinion in the Dred Scott Case. Scott, a slave, had been brought from a slave territory to a free territory and demanded his freedom. The Court ruled that as a slave, Scott was not a citizen and as such could not sue in the courts. The decision further polarized the North and the South and ended any chance of compromise on the issue of slavery. Historians see the decision as a major step leading to the Civil War.

Want to see more Vocabulary Lists for Social Studies?

Visit the Speeches and Historical Documents sections of the Vocabulary Lists page for a full roster, or see below for lists added in the last few months:

Henry David Thoreau "Civil Disobedience" (1849)
Franklin Roosevelt "Four Freedoms" (1941)
Nelson Mandela "I am prepared to die" (1964)
Dwight D. Eisenhower "Military Industrial Complex" (1961)
Ronald Reagan "Tear Down This Wall" (1987)
Patrick Henry, "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"
George Washington's Farewell Address (1796)
James Madison: Federalist #10 (1787)
Richard Nixon's "Checkers Speech" (1952)
Supreme Court healthcare ruling (2012)
Lincoln Inaugural Address (1861)
William Jennings Bryan, "Cross of Gold" (1896)
Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Day That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
The Monroe Doctrine (1823)
The Mayflower Compact (1620)
The Articles of Confederation (1777)