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Thomas, James Henry

(Encyclopedia)Thomas, James Henry, 1874–1949, British statesman and labor leader. A railroad worker, he held various offices in the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants and was a leader of the railway strike o...

James, Etta

(Encyclopedia)James, Etta, 1938–2012, American singer, b. Los Angeles as Jamesetta Hawkins. She began singing in church and had her first hit record, “Roll with Me, Henry” (or “The Wallflower”), at 15. Ja...

Douglas, James, 2d earl of Douglas and Mar

(Encyclopedia)Douglas, James, 2d earl of Douglas and Mar, 1358?–1388, Scottish nobleman; son of William Douglas, 1st earl of Douglas and Mar. In 1373 he married Isabel Stuart, daughter of Robert II. With the aid ...

Smith, James, American political leader

(Encyclopedia)Smith, James, c.1719–1806, political leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Ireland. He settled in Pennsylvania in his youth and practiced law at York. He s...

Lloyd, Henry Demarest

(Encyclopedia)Lloyd, Henry Demarest, 1847–1903, American reformer, b. New York City. He was on the editorial staff of the Chicago Tribune from 1872 to 1885 but resigned to study social problems. His Wealth agains...

social science

(Encyclopedia)social science, term for any or all of the branches of study that deal with humans in their social relations. Often these studies are referred to in the plural as the social sciences. Although human s...

social security

(Encyclopedia)social security, government program designed to provide for the basic economic security and welfare of individuals and their dependents. The programs classified under the term social security differ f...

social contract

(Encyclopedia)social contract, agreement or covenant by which men are said to have abandoned the “state of nature” to form the society in which they now live. The theory of such a contract, first formulated by ...

social welfare

(Encyclopedia)social welfare or public charity, organized provision of educational, cultural, medical, and financial assistance to the needy. Modern social welfare measures may include any of the following: the car...

Economic and Social Council

(Encyclopedia)Economic and Social Council, constituent organ of the United Nations. It was established by the UN Charter and has 54 (18 before 1965) member nations elected for three-year terms (one third every year...