Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Dunmore, John Murray, 4th earl of

(Encyclopedia)Dunmore, John Murray, 4th earl of, 1732–1809, British colonial governor of Virginia, a Scottish peer. Appointed governor of New York in 1770, he remained there for about 11 months before being trans...

London Company

(Encyclopedia)London Company, corporation composed of stockholders residing in and about London, which, together with the Plymouth Company (see Virginia Company), was granted (1606) a charter by King James I to fou...

John Henry

(Encyclopedia)John Henry, legendary African American famous for his strength, celebrated in ballads and tales. In the most popular version of the story, John Henry tries to outwork a steam drill with only his hamme...

Morgantown

(Encyclopedia)Morgantown, city (1990 pop. 25,879), seat of Monongalia co., N W.Va., near the Pa. line, on the Monongahela River; inc. 1785. A shipping point for a coal and limestone region, it also has glass, chemi...

White, Clarence Cameron

(Encyclopedia)White, Clarence Cameron, 1880–1960, American composer and violinist, b. Clarksville, Tenn., studied at the Oberlin Conservatory and in Europe. In addition to activities as violinist and teacher in B...

Potomac

(Encyclopedia)Potomac pətōˈmək [key], river, 285 mi (459 km) long, formed SE of Cumberland, Md., by the confluence of its North and South branches and flowing generally SE to Chesapeake Bay. It forms part of th...

Manchin, Joseph III

(Encyclopedia) Manchin, Joseph III, 1947 - , Senator from West Virginia, b. Farmington, W. Va., West Va. Univ. (B.B.A., 1970). Manchin's father and grandfather both ...

Florida Keys

(Encyclopedia)Florida Keys, chain of coral and limestone islands and reefs, c.150 mi (240 km) long, extending from Virginia Key, S of Miami Beach, to Key West, and forming the southern extremity of Florida. Between...

Dutch West India Company

(Encyclopedia)Dutch West India Company, trading and colonizing company, chartered by the States-General of the Dutch republic in 1621 and organized in 1623. Through its agency New Netherland was founded. The phenom...

Hebron, city, West Bank

(Encyclopedia)Hebron, Arab. Al-Khalil, city (2003 est. pop. 155,000), the West Bank. Hebron is situated at an altitude of 3,000 ft (910 m) in a region where grapes, cereal grains, and vegetables are grown. Tanning,...