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American Geographical Society

(Encyclopedia)American Geographical Society (AGS), oldest geographical society in the United States, founded 1852 in New York City. Its purpose is to advance the science of geography through discussion and publicat...

Jesus, Society of

(Encyclopedia)Jesus, Society of, religious order of the Roman Catholic Church. Its members are called Jesuits. St. Ignatius of Loyola, its founder, named it Compañia de Jesús [Span.,=(military) company of Jesus];...

John Birch Society

(Encyclopedia)John Birch Society, ultraconservative, anti-Communist organization in the United States. It was founded in Dec., 1958, by manufacturer Robert Welch, headquartered in Belmont, Mass., and named after Jo...

Audubon Society, National

(Encyclopedia)Audubon Society, National, one of the oldest and best-known U.S. environmental organizations; founded 1886 by George Cird Grinnell and named for John James Audubon. The nonprofit organization, which h...

Moberg, Vilhelm

(Encyclopedia)Moberg, Vilhelm vĭlˈhĕlm mo͞oˈbĕryə [key], 1898–1973, Swedish novelist and dramatist. Substantial recognition came with his partly autobiographical Knut Toring trilogy (1935–39; tr. The Ear...

village

(Encyclopedia)village, small rural population unit, held together by common economic and political ties. Based on agricultural production, a village is smaller than a town and has been the normal unit of community ...

Printz, Johan Björnsson

(Encyclopedia)Printz, Johan Björnsson yo͞oˈhän byörnˈsōn prĭnts [key], 1592–1663, colonial governor of New Sweden, b. Bottnaryd, Sweden. After serving as a mercenary in the armies of various European prin...

Bridget of Sweden, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Bridget of Sweden, Saint, c.1300–1373, Swedish nun, one of the great saints of Scandinavia. She was a noblewoman at court and the mother of eight children. After her husband's death she founded (134...

Cockaigne, Land of

(Encyclopedia)Cockaigne or Cockayne, Land of both: kŏkānˈ [key], legendary country described in medieval tales, where delicacies of food and drink were to be had for the taking. The Land of Cockaygne is a 13th-c...

enclosure of land

(Encyclopedia)enclosure of land: see inclosure. ...