Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) treaty, in international law, formal agreement between sovereign states or organizations of states. The term treaty is ordinarily confined to important formal agreements, while less formal internation...

(Encyclopedia) Exchequer, Court of ĕkschĕkˈər, ĕksˈchĕkˌər [key], in English history, governmental agency. It originated after the Norman Conquest as a financial committee of the Curia Regis. By the reign o...

(Encyclopedia) bigamy bĭˈgəmē [key], crime of marrying during the continuance of a lawful marriage. Bigamy is not committed if a prior marriage has been terminated by a divorce or a decree of nullity of marriage...

(Encyclopedia) poll tax, a capital tax levied equally on every adult in the community. Although no longer a significant source of revenue for any major country, the poll tax did provide large sums for many governmen...

(Encyclopedia) Youth, Isle of, Span. Isla de la Juventud, island and special municipality (1989 est. pop. 71,500), 1,180 sq mi (3,056 sq km), off SW Cuba, from which it is separated by the Batabanó Gulf. Until 1978...

(Encyclopedia) campaign, political, organized effort to secure nomination and election of candidates for government offices. In the United States, the most important political campaigns are those for the nomination ...

(Encyclopedia) integration, in U.S. history, the goal of an organized movement to break down the barriers of discrimination and segregation separating African Americans from the rest of American society. Racial segr...

(Encyclopedia) Peckham, Rufus Wheeler pĕkˈəm [key], 1838–1909, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1895–1909), b. Albany, N.Y. Admitted (1859) to the bar, he became a leading Albany lawyer and was pr...

(Encyclopedia) Van Devanter, Willis văn dēvănˈtər [key], 1859–1941, American jurist, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (1910–37), b. Marion, Ind. He practiced law (1881–84) in Indiana and, after...

(Encyclopedia) court jester: see fool.