Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

286 results found

Fort Dearborn

(Encyclopedia)Fort Dearborn, U.S. army post on the Chicago River, NE Ill.; est. 1803 and named for Secretary of War Henry Dearborn. Threatened by the indigenous population at the start of the War of 1812, the front...

Queenston

(Encyclopedia)Queenston, village, S Ont., Canada, just N of Niagara Falls. There the British defeated American invaders in the battle of Queenston Heights (Oct. 13, 1812) in the War of 1812. The British commanding ...

Jehovah-jireh

(Encyclopedia)Jehovah-jireh jəhōˈvə-jīˈrē [key], in the Bible, Abraham's name for the spot where the angel prevented the sacrifice of Isaac. ...

Moriah

(Encyclopedia)Moriah mōrīˈə [key], in the Bible, land in which the mountain where Abraham was to sacrifice Isaac was located. It has been identified by some with Mt. Moriah. ...

Gerar

(Encyclopedia)Gerar gēˈrär [key], in the Bible, city-state of Canaan, SE of Gaza. Abraham and Isaac sojourned there. Its identification is controversial; the most likely site is Tel Haror. ...

Andronicus I

(Encyclopedia)Andronicus I (Andronicus Comnenus) ăndrənīˈkəs kŏmnēˈnəs [key], 1120?–1185, Byzantine emperor (1183–85), nephew of John II. He acceded to the throne by strangling his cousin Alexius II. T...

Ishmael

(Encyclopedia)Ishmael ĭshˈmāĕl [key] [Heb.,=God hears], in the Bible. 1 Son of Abraham and Hagar; ancestor of 12 tribes in N Arabia. Through Sara's jealousy he and his mother were sent into the desert, where th...

Jacob

(Encyclopedia)Jacob jāˈkəb [key], in the Bible, ancestor of the Hebrews, the younger of Isaac and Rebecca's twin sons; the older was Esau. In exchange for a bowl of lentil soup, Jacob obtained Esau's birthright ...

Acton

(Encyclopedia)Acton, town (2020 pop. 24,021), Middlesex co., E Mass., NW of Boston; settled c.1680, inc. 1735. Among its manufactures are electrical machinery, chemicals, prefabricated houses, and preci...

Davies, Joseph Edward

(Encyclopedia)Davies, Joseph Edward dāˈvēz [key], 1876–1958, American diplomat, b. Watertown, Wis. Admitted to the bar in 1901, he was commissioner of corporations (1913–15) and chairman (1915–16) of the F...

Browse by Subject