Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Yorktown campaign

(Encyclopedia)Yorktown campaign, 1781, the closing military operations of the American Revolution. After his unsuccessful Carolina campaign General Cornwallis moved into Virginia to join British forces there. His l...

Lawrence, James

(Encyclopedia)Lawrence, James, 1781–1813, American naval hero, b. Burlington, N.J. He entered the navy in 1798 and saw his first important service in the Tripolitan War. In the War of 1812, as commander of the Ho...

breakwater

(Encyclopedia)breakwater, offshore structure to protect a harbor from wave energy or deflect currents. When it also serves as a pier, it is called a quay; when covered by a roadway it is called a mole. In the Unite...

Michener, James Albert

(Encyclopedia)Michener, James Albert mĭchˈnər [key], 1907–97, American author, b. New York City, grad. Swarthmore, 1929. His short-story collection Tales of the South Pacific (1947; Pulitzer Prize) was adapted...

Simcoe, Lake

(Encyclopedia)Simcoe, Lake, 539 sq mi (1,396 sq km), S Ont., Canada, between Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario. Cook Bay, Kempenfelt Bay, and Lake Couchiching are arms of the lake. Lake Simcoe drains N through the Seve...

Hayes

(Encyclopedia)Hayes, river, c.300 mi (480 km) long, rising in a lake NE of Lake Winnipeg, central Manitoba, Canada, and flowing NE to Hudson Bay. It was the chief route used by Hudson's Bay Company traders from Hud...

Barron, James

(Encyclopedia)Barron, James, 1768–1851, U.S. naval officer, b. Hampton, Va. Of a seafaring family, he served in the Virginia navy in the Revolution, entered the U.S. navy as a lieutenant in 1798, and held command...

Huntington

(Encyclopedia)Huntington. 1 City (2020 pop. 17,022), seat of Huntington co., NE Ind.; inc. 1848. It is a farm trade center and an industrial city. Manufactures ...

Door Peninsula

(Encyclopedia)Door Peninsula, 80 mi (129 km) long, NE Wis., between Green Bay and Lake Michigan; a canal at Sturgeon Bay bisects the peninsula. Cherry growing and tourism are the chief industries. The peninsula was...

Nelson, river, Canada

(Encyclopedia)Nelson, river, c.400 mi (640 km) long, issuing from the northeast end of Lake Winnipeg, central Man., Canada, and flowing NE to Hudson Bay at Port Nelson. With the Bow–South Saskatchewan–Saskatche...

Browse by Subject