Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Pittsfield, city (1990 pop. 48,622), seat of Berkshire co., W Mass., between mountain ranges, on branches of the Housatonic River; inc. as a town 1761, as a city 1889. The city is the metropolis of th...

(Encyclopedia) South Kingstown kĭngˈstən, kĭngzˈtounˌ [key], town (1990 pop. 24,631), seat of Washington co., S R.I.; settled 1641, inc. 1674 as Kings Towne, divided into South Kingstown and North Kingstown 17...

(Encyclopedia) Laffite, Jean zhäN läfētˈ [key], c.1780–1826?, leader of a band of privateers and smugglers. The name is often spelled Lafitte. He and his men began operating (1810) off the Baratarian coast S o...

(Encyclopedia) Duer, William do͞oˈər, dyo͞oˈ– [key], 1747–99, political leader in the American Revolution and financier, b. Devonshire, England. He served for a time as aide-de-camp to Robert Clive in India...

(Encyclopedia) Crockett, Davy (David Crockett) krŏkˈĭt [key], 1786–1836, American frontiersman, b. Limestone, near Greeneville, Tenn. After serving (1813–14) under Andrew Jackson against the Creek in the War ...

(Encyclopedia) American Indian Movement (AIM), Native American civil-rights activist organization, founded in 1968 to encourage self-determination among Native Americans and to establish international re...

(Encyclopedia) Vermeer, Jan or Johannes vərmērˈ, Dutch yän vərmārˈ, yōhänˈəs [key], 1632–75, Dutch genre and landscape painter. He was born in Delft, where he spent his entire life. He was also known as...

(Encyclopedia) MacMillan, David W.C., 1968–, b. Bellshill, U.K. Scotish chemist, James S. McDonnell Distiguished University Professor in Chemistry and ...

(Encyclopedia) E Pluribus Unum ē plo͝orˈĭbəs yo͞oˈnəm [key] [Lat.,=one made out of many], motto on the Great Seal of the United States and on many U.S. coins. Although selected in 1776 by Benjamin Franklin, ...

(Encyclopedia) Wheelwright, John, c.1592–1679, American Puritan clergyman, founder of Exeter, N.H., b. Lincolnshire, England. He studied at Cambridge and was vicar (1623–33) of Bilsby. Suspended by Archbishop La...