Social Studies teachers: This summer, we've been adding new social studies Vocabulary Lists to Vocabulary.com, and these three are the latest addition.
Henry David Thoreau "Civil Disobedience" (1849) 91 words
Originally published as "On the Duty of Disobedience" and based on an 1848 lecture, Thoreau's work is a civil libertarian classic. Questioning the authority of all governments, Thoreau especially challenged both the right of the state to tax him and the morality of a government which allows slavery.
Franklin Roosevelt "Four Freedoms" (1941) 65 words
In January 1941 President Franklin Roosevelt outlined the basic freedoms which America represents. Almost a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor, FDR warned of the dangers from dictatorships and of the need for America to prepare to defend itself.
Nelson Mandela "I am prepared to die" (1964) 79 words
In 1962 Nelson Mandela was arrested for his efforts to end Apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation. He made this speech during his 1964 trial. In the 1990s Apartheid was finally ended in South Africa, and Mandela was released from prison. In 1993 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and in 1994 he was elected President of South Africa.
To see other lists added this summer, see out Six New Vocabulary Lists or More New Vocabulary Lists for Social Studies. Visit the Speeches and Historical Documents sections of the Vocabulary Lists page for a full roster.