Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Otis, James

(Encyclopedia)Otis, James, 1725–83, American colonial political leader, b. Barnstable co., Mass. A lawyer first in Plymouth and then in Boston, he won great distinction and served (1756–61) as advocate general ...

free silver

(Encyclopedia)free silver, in U.S. history, term designating the political movement for the unlimited coinage of silver. In 1896 free silver became the major issue of a presidential campaign when William Jennings...

competition, in economics

(Encyclopedia)competition, in economics, rivalry in supplying or acquiring an economic service or good. Sellers compete with other sellers, and buyers with other buyers. In its perfect form, there is competition am...

Fort Abercrombie

(Encyclopedia)Fort Abercrombie ăbˈərkrŏmˌbē, –krŭmˌbē [key], U.S. army post on the west bank of the Red River, at Abercrombie, N.Dak.; est. 1858. Built to protect settlers in the Red River valley from at...

Van Twiller, Wouter

(Encyclopedia)Van Twiller, Wouter, fl. 1632–1640, Dutch director-general of New Netherland. A nephew of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, he was appointed to succeed Peter Minuit and arrived in New Amsterdam in 1633. Consi...

Strauss, Levi

(Encyclopedia)Strauss, Levi, 1829–1902, American merchant, b. Buttenheim, Germany, as Löb Strauss. He moved with his mother and sisters to New York City in 1847 to join his brothers' wholesale dry-goods company....

Honjo, Tasuku

(Encyclopedia)Honjo, Tasuku, 1942–, Japanese immunologist, Ph.D. Kyoto Univ., 1975. Honjo was a member of the medical faculty at the Univ. of Tokyo from 1974 to 1979 and a professor at the Osaka School of Medicin...

Garland, Augustus Hill

(Encyclopedia)Garland, Augustus Hill, 1832–99, American lawyer and politician, b. Tipton co., Tenn. He became a prominent lawyer in Arkansas and during the Civil War served in the Confederate House of Representat...

Breadalbane, John Campbell, 1st earl of

(Encyclopedia)Breadalbane, John Campbell, 1st earl of brədôlˈbĭn, brĕd– [key], 1635?–1717, Scottish nobleman. He took part in the royalist rising of 1654 and helped George Monck to further the restoration ...

Puelche

(Encyclopedia)Puelche pwĕlˈchā [key], name for various hunting groups of nomadic Native Americans who roamed the Argentine Pampa, hunting guanaco and rhea. Little is known of the Puelche prior to the 18th cent. ...

Browse by Subject