Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Donelson, Andrew Jackson

(Encyclopedia)Donelson, Andrew Jackson dŏnˈəlsən [key], 1799–1871, American politician, b. Cumberland region of Tennessee. He was brought up at the Hermitage by his uncle, Andrew Jackson. After graduating fro...

Chisum, John Simpson

(Encyclopedia)Chisum, John Simpson chĭzˈəm [key], 1824–84, American cattleman, b. Tennessee. In 1837 he moved with his family to Texas. He had no formal education but worked as a builder and contractor, buildi...

Fort Donelson

(Encyclopedia)Fort Donelson dŏnˈəlsən [key], Confederate fortification in the Civil War, on the Cumberland River at Dover, Tenn., commanding the river approach to Nashville, Tenn. After capturing Fort Henry, on...

Hinnom

(Encyclopedia)Hinnom hēnōmˈ [key], valley, W and S of Jerusalem. Its ill repute in the Bible emanated from the worship there of foreign gods, including supposed child sacrifice to Molech at Tophet. In later Jewi...

Siddim

(Encyclopedia)Siddim, in the Bible, locale of the battle of the kings, said to mean the valley of the Dead Sea.

conservation of natural resources

(Encyclopedia)conservation of natural resources, the wise use of the earth's resources by humanity. The term conservation came into use in the late 19th cent. and referred to the management, mainly for economic rea...

Evans, Sir John

(Encyclopedia)Evans, Sir John, 1823–1908, English archaeologist, geologist, and numismatist. A president of the Royal Numismatic Society and of the Society of Antiquaries, he was active also in public welfare and...

Osborne, Thomas Burr

(Encyclopedia)Osborne, Thomas Burr, 1859–1929, American chemist, b. New Haven, Conn., grad. Yale, 1881. From 1886 he was with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. An authority on nutrition, especially...

freethinkers

(Encyclopedia)freethinkers, those who arrive at conclusions, particularly in questions of religion, by employing the rules of reason while rejecting supernatural authority or ecclesiastical tradition. The freethink...

license

(Encyclopedia)license, in public law, permission by legal authority to engage in certain acts and also the document showing such permission. Some licenses are required for the protection of the public; they assure ...