(Encyclopedia) folklore, the body of customs, legends, beliefs, and superstitions passed on by oral tradition. It includes folk dances, folk songs, folk medicine (the use of magical charms and herbs…
(Encyclopedia) Long, Stephen Harriman, 1784–1864, American explorer, b. Hopkinton, N.H. As an army engineer, Long was sent on several exploring and surveying expeditions. The first in 1817 was to the…
(Encyclopedia) freethinkers, those who arrive at conclusions, particularly in questions of religion, by employing the rules of reason while rejecting supernatural authority or ecclesiastical…
(Encyclopedia) Gardner, John William, 1912–2002, American public official, U.S. secretary of health, education, and welfare (1965–68), b. Los Angeles. After teaching psychology at Connecticut and Mt…
(Encyclopedia) Van Cortlandt, Stephen or StephanusVan Cortlandt, Stephen or Stephanusstĭfāˈnəs [key]Van Cortlandt, Stephen or Stephanus văn kôrtˈlənd [key], 1643–1700, colonial American merchant and…