Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Fort Henry, in United States history

(Encyclopedia)Fort Henry, Confederate fortification on the Tennessee River, S of the Ky.-Tenn. line; site of the first major Union victory of the Civil War (Feb. 6, 1862). The fort was attacked and reduced by Union...

Ashton-Warner, Sylvia

(Encyclopedia)Ashton-Warner, Sylvia, 1905–84, New Zealand British novelist and educator, b. Stratford, New Zealand. For years a teacher of Maori children, Ashton-Warner developed many stimulating educational meth...

stirrup

(Encyclopedia)stirrup, foot support for the rider of a horse in mounting and while riding. It is a ring with a horizontal bar to receive the foot and is attached by a strap to the saddle. To avoid the danger of hav...

Grasse, François Joseph Paul, comte de

(Encyclopedia)Grasse, François Joseph Paul, comte de fräNswäˈ zhôzĕfˈ pōl kôNt də gräs [key], 1722–88, French admiral. In 1781, in command of a French fleet sent to cooperate with the Continental force...

black snake

(Encyclopedia)black snake, name for several snakes, not all closely related, that are black in color. In the United States the name is applied chiefly to the black racer and to the black rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta)...

Cascade Range

(Encyclopedia)Cascade Range, mountain chain, c.700 mi (1,130 km) long, extending S from British Columbia to N Calif., where it becomes the Sierra Nevada; it parallels the Coast Ranges, 100–150 mi (161–241 km) i...

Morro Castle

(Encyclopedia)Morro Castle môrˈō [key], fort at the entrance to the harbor of Havana, Cuba. It was erected by the Spanish in 1589 to protect the city from buccaneers. The fort was also used as a prison. Morro Ca...

Hays

(Encyclopedia)Hays, city (2020 pop. 21,116), seat of Ellis co., W central Kans.; inc. 1885. It is a rail, trade, and medical center in a grain, cattle, and oil area. ...

Jasper, William

(Encyclopedia)Jasper, William, c.1750–79, American Revolutionary soldier, b. South Carolina (possibly near Georgetown). He joined William Moultrie's regiment early in the Revolution (1775), was made sergeant, and...

Browse by Subject