Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Sonora sōnōˈrä [key], state (1990 pop. 1,823,606), 70,484 sq mi (182,554 sq km), NW Mexico, on the Gulf of California, S of Arizona. Hermosillo is the capital. Sonora is mostly mountainous, with v...

(Encyclopedia) Alabama claims, claims made by the U.S. government against Great Britain for the damage inflicted on Northern merchant ships during the American Civil War by the Alabama and other Confederate cruisers...

(Encyclopedia) Bemis, Samuel Flagg bēˈmĭs [key], 1891–1973, American historian, b. Worcester, Mass. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1916 and taught history at various schools before becoming Farnum profes...

(Encyclopedia) referendum, referral of proposed laws or constitutional amendments to the electorate for final approval. This direct form of legislation, along with the initiative, was known in Greece and other early...

(Encyclopedia) Garland, Augustus Hill, 1832–99, American lawyer and politician, b. Tipton co., Tenn. He became a prominent lawyer in Arkansas and during the Civil War served in the Confederate House of Representat...

(Encyclopedia) copyright, right granted by statute to the author or originator of certain literary, artistic, and musical productions whereby for a limited period of time he or she controls the use of the product. T...

(Encyclopedia) Zoellick, Robert Bruce zĕlˈlĭk [key], 1953–, U.S. government official and finance executive, b. Evergreen Park, Ill., grad. Swarthmore College (B.A., 1975), Harvard (J.D., M.P.P. 1981). As an ass...

(Encyclopedia) Bayh, Birch Evans, Jr. bī [key], 1928–2019, U.S. politician, b. Terre Haute, Ind., grad. Indiana Univ. law school (1960). A Democrat, Bayh served (1954–62) in the Indiana legislature, then (1963�...

(Encyclopedia) Atwater, Wilbur Olin, 1844–1907, American agricultural chemist, b. Johnsburg, N.Y. He was professor at several American universities and helped to set up and later became director of the first state...

(Encyclopedia) citizen, member of a state, native or naturalized, who owes allegiance to the government of the state and is entitled to certain rights. Citizens may be said to enjoy the most privileged form of natio...