(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…
(Encyclopedia) Barnburners, radical element of the Democratic party in New York state from 1842 to 1848, opposed to the conservative Hunkers. The name derives from the fabled Dutchman who burned his…
actressBorn: 12/19/1972Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York With roles in such films as Fear (1996), Public Enemy No. 1 (HBO, 1996), and Hugo Pool (1997; directed by Robert Downey, Sr.), and in the…
(Encyclopedia) McDuffie, George, 1790–1851, American politician, b. Columbia co., Ga. He was a member of the South Carolina legislature and served (1821–34) in the U.S. House of Representatives,…
(Encyclopedia) Berkshire HillsBerkshire Hillsbûrkˈshər, –shĭr [key], mountainous region of wooded hills with many small lakes and streams, W Mass. The Berkshires are a southern extension of the Green…
(Encyclopedia) Neptune, in astronomy, 8th planet from the sun at a mean distance of about 2.8 billion mi (4.5 billion km) with an orbit lying between those of Uranus and the dwarf planet Pluto; its…
(Encyclopedia) Hare, Sir David, 1947–, British playwright. Hare is a prominent member of the British theatrical left. A founder of the Portable Theatre and the Joint Stock, he became resident…
rock group The group's album, Licensed to Ill (1986) spawned the hit “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)” and went quintuple platinum, fueled by cross-over interest from both the band's…