Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Putnam, Herbert

(Encyclopedia)Putnam, Herbert, 1861–1955, American librarian, b. New York City; son of George P. Putnam. He served as librarian at the Minneapolis Athenaeum (1884–87) and of the Minneapolis Public Library (1887...

Ewing, Thomas

(Encyclopedia)Ewing, Thomas, 1789–1871, American statesman, b. Ohio co., Va. (now W.Va.). He represented Ohio in the U.S. Senate (1831–37) and supported Henry Clay in the Whig fight against the Jackson administ...

Hereford cattle

(Encyclopedia)Hereford cattle hûrˈfərd [key], breed of beef cattle originated in Herefordshire, England, and thought to be descended from the primitive cattle of the country. They are medium-to-large, deep-bodie...

Ghent, Treaty of

(Encyclopedia)Ghent, Treaty of, 1814, agreement ending the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. It was signed at Ghent, Belgium, on Dec. 24, 1814, and ratified by the U.S. Senate in Feb., 1815. ...

Adams, John Quincy

(Encyclopedia)Adams, John Quincy, 1767–1848, 6th President of the United States (1825–29), b. Quincy (then in Braintree), Mass.; son of John Adams and Abigail Adams and father of Charles Francis Adams (1807–8...

elastomer

(Encyclopedia)elastomer ĭlăsˈtəmər [key], substance having to some extent the elastic properties of natural rubber. The term is sometimes used technically to distinguish synthetic rubbers and rubberlike plasti...

Tyler, John

(Encyclopedia)Tyler, John, 1790–1862, 10th President of the United States, b. Charles City co., Va. Tyler, nominated by a small Democratic faction, had withdrawn from the 1844 election. In Feb., 1861, he pres...

electric and magnetic units

(Encyclopedia)electric and magnetic units, units used to express the magnitudes of various quantities in electricity and magnetism. Three systems of such units, all based on the metric system, are commonly used. On...

Alien and Sedition Acts

(Encyclopedia)Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798, four laws enacted by the Federalist-controlled U.S. Congress, allegedly in response to the hostile actions of the French Revolutionary government on the seas and in the ...

Browse by Subject