Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Harrison, Benjamin, political leader in the American Revolution

(Encyclopedia)Harrison, Benjamin, 1726?–1791, political leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Charles City co., Va. As a member (1749–75) of the house of burgesses, he...

Hewes, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Hewes, Joseph hyo͞oz [key], 1730–79, political leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Kingston, N.J. He moved (1760) to Edenton, N.C., and became a wealthy...

Roselle

(Encyclopedia)Roselle rōzĕlˈ [key], borough (1990 pop. 20,314), Union co., NE N.J.; set off from Linden 1890 and inc. 1894. Chiefly residential, the borough has some industry. Thomas Edison had a laboratory ther...

Thornton, Matthew

(Encyclopedia)Thornton, Matthew, 1714–1803, political leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Ireland. Taken to America as a child, he studied medicine and in 1740 began p...

Easton

(Encyclopedia)Easton, city (2020 pop. 27,087), seat of Northampton co., E. Pa., at the junction of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers; founded 1751 by Thomas Penn, inc. a...

Hopkinson, Francis

(Encyclopedia)Hopkinson, Francis, 1737–91, American writer and musician, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Philadelphia. A practicing lawyer, Hopkinson was also an accomplished poet, essayist, and mus...

New Milford

(Encyclopedia)New Milford. 1 Town (1990 pop. 23,629), Litchfield co., W Conn., on the Housatonic River; inc. 1712. Situated in a dairy region, its manufactures include paper products and electronic equipment. The t...

Paine, Robert Treat

(Encyclopedia)Paine, Robert Treat, 1731–1814, political figure in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. Boston, Mass. He served briefly as a chaplain in the French and Indian War ...

Kittery

(Encyclopedia)Kittery kĭtˈərē [key], town (1990 pop. 9,372), York co., extreme SW Maine, at the mouth of the Piscataqua River opposite Portsmouth, N.H.; inc. 1647. Its economy centers around tourism and the Por...

McKean, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)McKean, Thomas məkānˈ, –kēnˈ [key], 1734–1817, political leader in the American Revolution, signer of the Declaration of Independence, b. New London, Pa. He settled at New Castle, Del., and b...