A guide to the language of history
History glossary
Understand the people, places and ideas behind the stories. Find a term, read its meaning, then explore it in context.
37–72 of 78 terms · S
Clear filtersSlavery
a system in which people are treated as property and forced to work without freedom.
smallpox
a deadly infectious disease that devastated populations without prior immunity in the early modern Americas.
Social Democrats
Germany's main democratic socialist party and one of the last parliamentary opponents of Hitler's dictatorship.
Social War
the 91-88 BCE revolt of Rome's Italian allies, which forced Rome to extend citizenship across much of Italy.
Socialism
a political and economic tradition focused on social ownership, equality, workers' rights, and limits on capitalism.
South African Indian Congress
an Indian South African political organisation that fought racial discrimination and allied with the ANC.
South Vietnam
the anti-communist state in southern Vietnam backed by the United States during the Vietnam War.
Southern Christian Leadership Conference
a civil rights organisation led by Black ministers, including Martin Luther King Jr.
Southern Tour
Deng Xiaoping's 1992 journey that revived market reform after post-Tiananmen caution.
Soviet Union
a communist state led from Moscow that existed after the Russian Revolution until 1991.
space race
the Cold War competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for achievements in space exploration.
Spanish Armada
the Spanish invasion fleet sent against England in 1588 and defeated through English naval tactics, logistics, and storms.
Sparta
an ancient Greek city-state in the Peloponnese, famous for military discipline and rule over helots.
Spartacist League
a revolutionary socialist group in Germany that opposed the war and helped found the Communist Party of Germany.
Special Economic Zones
designated areas where China tested foreign investment, export manufacturing, and market rules under party control.
Specialization
when people focus on particular jobs instead of everyone doing the same basic work.
spinning jenny
a multi-spindle spinning machine that let one worker spin several threads at once.
Sputnik
the first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in October 1957.
SS
the Nazi paramilitary and security organisation central to terror, policing, concentration camps, and genocide.
Stamp Act
a 1765 British tax requiring many colonial printed materials to carry a paid stamp.
standardization
the use of shared measures, forms, or systems across a society or economy.
Steam engine
a heat engine that uses steam pressure to produce mechanical power.
Steatite
a soft stone, also called soapstone, often carved into Indus seals before being hardened by firing.
Steppe
a wide grassland region across Eurasia that supported mobile pastoral peoples and long-distance movement.
stipended
paid through a regular allowance rather than direct landholding or ordinary wages.
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
the student-led civil rights organisation formed in 1960 that developed direct action and grassroots voter organising.
Subcontinent
a very large landmass smaller than a continent; here, part of South Asia.
Subordinate
lower in rank, power, or authority than someone or something else.
succession
the transfer of power from one ruler to the next.
Sugar Act
a 1764 British revenue law that tightened duties and customs enforcement on colonial trade.
sultan
a Muslim sovereign title used by rulers including the Ottoman dynasty.
Sumerian
one of the earliest urban civilizations, based in southern Mesopotamia.
Sunni
the largest branch of Islam, whose communities became central to post-2003 Iraqi politics and conflict.
Sunni Islam
the largest branch of Islam, historically associated with recognition of the caliphate's communal leadership.
Supermarine Spitfire
a fast, highly maneuverable British fighter aircraft closely associated with the Battle of Britain.
Supreme Court
the highest court in the United States.
