Your search returned 1,052 results in 310 document sections:

... 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 ...
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Humphreys, David 1752-1818 (search)
d himself at Yorktown, he was made the bearer of the captured British standards to Congress, when that body voted him an elegant sword. At the close of the war he accompanied Washington to Mount Vernon, and in July, 1784, went to France as secretary of legation to Jefferson, accompanied by Kosciuszko. In 1787 he was appointed colonel of a regiment for the Western service, but when it was reduced, in 1788, he again went to Mount Vernon, where he remained with Washington until sent as minister to Portugal in 1790. He was master of ceremonies in regulating the etiquette of the republican court of the first President. Appointed minister to Spain in 1797, he continued there until 1802, and concluded treaties with Algiers and Tripoli. He was extensively engaged in agriculture and manufactures after his return to America, and in 1812 he took command of the militia of Connecticut. He was a poet of considerable genius; also a dramatic writer. He died in New Haven, Conn., Feb. 21, 1818.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Isabella, 1451- (search)
Isabella, 1451- Queen of Castile and Leon; born in Madrigal, Old Castile, April 23, 1451; lived in retirement with her mother, a daughter of John II., of Portugal, until her twelfth year. At the age of eleven years she was betrothed to Carlos, brother of Ferdinand (whom she afterwards martried, then forty-six years old. H, guaranteeing to his betrothed all the essential rights of sovereignty in Castile and Leon. King Henry, offended because his sister would not marry the King of Portugal, sent a force to seize her person. She escaped to Valladolid, whither Ferdinand hastened in disguise, and they were married, Oct. 19, 1469, in the cathedral the The King died late in 1474, and Isabella was declared Queen of Castile and Leon; but her authority was not fully recognized until after a war with the King of Portugal, who was affianced to Juana, the rival of Isabella for the throne. After hat her career was brilliant. She appeared in arms at the head of her troops in her wa
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Lane, Sir Ralph 1530-1604 (search)
vernor: born in Northamptonshire, England, about 1530; was son of Sir Ralph Lane, and Maud, daughter of Lord Parr, uncle of Catharine Parr, one of the queens of Henry VIII. He was equerry in the Court of Queen Elizabeth; commanded troops in Ireland, first in 1569, and again in 1583-84; and was sent from England with Sir Richard Granville, by Sir Walter Raleigh, to be governor of Virginia, in 1585. After his return from Virginia he was colonel in the expedition of Norris and Drake against Portugal in 1589, and in 1591 was mustermaster-general in Ireland. He was knighted by the lord-deputy in 1593. Lane's administration as governor of Virginia was fruitless of any good. By following the example of Grenville he exasperated the Indians. Had he been kind and wise the colony might have prospered; but he and his followers were greedy for gold, and only Harriott, the historian, acted like a sensible Christian. Lane had the gold fever severely, and all trusted more to fire-arms than to
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Lee, Charles 1731- (search)
ix years. His regiment participated in the battle on the Monongahela, where Braddock was defeated. That was Lee's first practical experience of warfare. He served in the campaigns from 1756 to the conquest of Canada in 1760, when he returned to England with a captain's commission, and was promoted to major of the 103d Regiment, which was disbanded in 1763, and Lee continued a major on half-pay until 1772, when he was made lieutenant-colonel on half-pay. He had served with distinction in Portugal, but was not promoted in rank, probably Charles Lee. because of the sharpness and volubility of his tongue concerning the shortcomings of his superior officers. On visiting the Continent after he was put on the halfpay list, he was made an aide-de-camp of King Stanislaus of Poland. He went to England in 1766, where he failed in his attempts to obtain promotion, and returned to Poland, where he was made a major-general, and afterwards served a short time in the Russian army. Finally, Le
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), MacDOUGALLougall, Sir Duncan 1789- (search)
MacDOUGALLougall, Sir Duncan 1789- Military officer; born in Scotland, in 1789; son of Sir Patrick MacDougall. He entered the army in 1804, and served in several regiments, and on the staff in Portugal, Spain, France, America, Cape of Good Hope, and West Indies. He had the distinction of having received into his arms two eminent British generals when they fell in battle—namely, General Ross, killed near Baltimore, and General Pakenham, slain near New Orleans. He commanded the 79th Highlanders for several years. His son and heir, Col. Patrick Leonard MacDougall, was commandant of the Royal Stall College in 1870. The family is Sir Duncan MacDOUGALLougall descended, in a direct line, from Somerled, the Prince of the western coast of Argyleshire, and famous Lord of the Isles. Sir Duncan died Dec. 10, 186
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Metric system, (search)
d1855 Canada adopts the decimal currency used in United StatesJan. 1, 1858 Metric weight of 5 grammes (77.16 grains) and diameter of 2 centimetres given to the 5-cent copper nickel piece in the United States by act of CongressMay 16, 1866 Use in the United States authorized by act of Congress, and table of equivalents approvedJuly 28, 1866 Convention establishing an international bureau of weights and measures signed at Paris by representatives of Austria, Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, United States, Argentine Republic, Brazil, and PeruMay 20, 1875 International congress on weights and measures meets at ParisSept. 4, 1878 Metric system. Unit of the measure of length. Metre = 39.37 inches. Decametre10metres. Hectometre100metres. Kilometre1,000metres. Myriametre10,000metres. Decimetre.1 metre. Centimetre.01metres. Millimetre.001metres. Unit of the measure of surface. Centare = 1 sq. metre = 1,550 sq. i
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Monroe, James 1759-1870 (search)
ion over them; that Greece will become again an independent nation. That she may obtain that rank is the object of our most ardent wishes. It was stated at the commencement of the last session that a great effort was then making in Spain and Portugal to improve the condition of the people of those countries, and that it appeared to be conducted with extraordinary moderation. It need scarcely be remarked that the result has been, so far, very different from what was then anticipated. Of eveto adhere, provided no change shall occur which, in the judgment of the competent authorities of this government, shall make a corresponding change on the part of the United States indispensable to their security. The late events in Spain and Portugal show that Europe is still unsettled. Of this important fact no stronger proof can be adduced than that the allied powers should have thought it proper, on any principle satisfactory to themselves, to have interposed, by force, in the internal c
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Morse, Samuel Finley Breese 1791-1879 (search)
it were given him by the King of Prussia, the King of Wurtemberg, and the Emperor of Austria. In 1856 he received from the Emperor of the French the cross. of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor. In 1857 the King of Denmark gave him the cross of Knight Commander of the first class of the Danebrog. In 1858 the Queen of Spain presented him the cross of Knight Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic; the King of Italy gave him the cross of Ss. Maurice and Lazarus, and from the King of Portugal he received the cross of the Order of the Tower and the Sword. A banquet was given him in London (1856) by British telegraph companies, and in Paris (1858) by the American colony, representing nearly every State in the Union. In the latter part of that year, after a telegraphic cable had been laid under the Atlantic Ocean (see Atlantic Telegraph), representatives of France, Russia, Sweden,. Belgium, Holland, Austria, Sardinia, Tuscany, the Papal States, and Turkey met in Paris, at the sug
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Neutrality. (search)
band are arms and munitions of war, and nothing else; (4) that no port is blockaded unless the enemy's ships in adequate number are near enough to make the entry dangerous. In manifesting these principles before all Europe, that state paper said, her Imperial Majesty is firmly resolved to maintain them. She has therefore given an order to fit out a considerable portion of her naval forces to act as her honor, her interest, and necessity may require. The Empress invited Sweden, Denmark, Portugal, and the Netherlands to join in support of her declaration. These, with Prussia and Russia, entered into a league in the course of the year. France and Spain acquiesced in the new maritime code; and at one time a general war between Great Britain and the Continental nations seemed inevitable. The United States approved the measure, and towards the close of 1780 sent Francis Dana as ambassador to the Court of St. Petersburg to negotiate a treaty of amity and commerce. The alliance neithe
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), New Sweden, founding of (search)
After that the magnanimous Genoese, Christopher Columbus, had, at the expense of Ferdinand, King of Spain, in the year 1492, discovered the Western Hemisphere, and the illustrious Florentine, Americus Vespucius, sent out by King Emanuel of Portugal, in the year 1502, to make a further exploration of its coasts, had had the good fortune to give the country his name, the European powers have, from time to time, sought to promote their several interests there. Our Swedes and Goths were the lrefore, for fear of the sand-banks off Newfoundland, they kept their course to the east and south as far as to what were then called the Brazates. The Azores? The ships which went under the command of Governor Printz sailed along the coast of Portugal, and down the coast of Africa, until they found the eastern passage, then directly over to America, leaving the Canaries If they sailed due west to Antigua, they must have gone down south to the latitude of the Cape de Verde Islands. high up
... 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 ...