Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

free fall

(Encyclopedia)free fall, in physics, the state of a body moving solely under the influence of gravitational forces (see gravitation). A body falling freely toward the surface of the earth undergoes an acceleration ...

Free-Soil party

(Encyclopedia)Free-Soil party, in U.S. history, political party that came into existence in 1847–48 chiefly because of rising opposition to the extension of slavery into any of the territories newly acquired from...

Orange Free State

(Encyclopedia)Orange Free State, former province, South Africa: see Free State. ...

Radio Free Europe

(Encyclopedia)Radio Free Europe (RFE), broadcasting organization established in 1950 with the stated mission of promoting democratic values and institutions. Its original purpose was to broadcast news to countries ...

Irish Free State

(Encyclopedia)Irish Free State: see Ireland; Ireland, Republic of. ...

Scotland, Free Church of

(Encyclopedia)Scotland, Free Church of, the secessionist Presbyterian church established as a result of the great disruption of 1843 in the Church of Scotland. The cause of the separation lay in the demand of the l...

Berlin, Free University of

(Encyclopedia)Berlin, Free University of, at Berlin, Germany; founded in 1948 by students and faculty seceding from Humboldt Univ. in East Berlin. Supported by both the city of Berlin and the German government, it ...

Browse by Subject