{i} Washington D.C., capital of the United States; state in the northwestern United States; family name; George Washington (1732-1799), 1st president of the United States; Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), U.S. educator
American educator. Born into slavery, he acquired an education after emancipation and became the principal of Tuskegee Institute, which flourished under his tutelage (1881-1915). A lake in west-central Washington on the eastern boundary of Seattle. First Lady of the United States (1789-1797) as the wife of President George Washington. A mountain, 1,917.8 m (6,288 ft) high, of eastern New Hampshire. It is the highest elevation in the White Mountains. State (pop., 2000: 5,894,121), northwestern U.S. Washington is bounded by the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north, Idaho to the east, Oregon to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It covers an area of 68,139 sq mi (176,479 sq km); its capital is Olympia. The state contains the Cascade Range, which includes Mount Rainier and Mount Saint Helens, and the Olympic Mountains. The Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound extend inland into the state from the Pacific Ocean. Cape Alva, the most westerly point of the coterminous U.S., is in Washington, as is the Columbia River. The area was inhabited by Pacific Coast Indians, including the Chinook and Nez Percé, when the region was visited by Spanish, Russian, British, and French explorers (1543-1792). Claimed by the Spanish and British, it was crossed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805. Spain surrendered to the U.S. its territories north of California in 1819. Until the 1840s, international agreement permitted citizens of both the U.S. and Britain to settle in what was known as Oregon Country. An 1846 treaty with Great Britain set the present Washington-Canada boundary; the Oregon Country was added to the U.S. and renamed the Territory of Oregon in 1848. Washington received territorial status in 1853 and was reduced to its present size in 1863. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. In the late 1890s it was the main staging point for gold miners going to the Alaskan and Yukon strikes. The greatest stimulus to its 20th-century progress came with the development of hydroelectric power and the work on the Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams. Its important manufactures include aircraft building and shipbuilding. Expanding trade with Pacific Rim countries, high technology, and tourism add to the economy. Allston Washington Carver George Washington Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey George Washington Birthplace National Monument Goethals George Washington Irving Washington Julian George Washington Odum Howard Washington Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington D.C. Washington Denzel Washington Dinah Washington George Washington Harold Washington Mount Washington and Lee University Washington Monument Washington Post The Washington University Washington Conference
the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles l'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791 a state in northwestern United States on the Pacific 1st President of the United States; commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1732-1799) United States educator who was born a slave but became educated and founded a college at Tuskegee in Alabama (1856-1915)
A federal holiday in the USA celebrated on the third Monday of February, during which the US presidents, especially George Washington, are celebrated or remembered
born Nov. 5, 1779, Allston plantation, Brook Green Domain on Waccamaw River, S.C., U.S. died July 9, 1843, Cambridgeport, Mass. U.S. painter and writer. He studied at Harvard University and at London's Royal Academy (with Benjamin West). He settled in Massachusetts in 1830 and became the most important first-generation U.S. Romantic painter. His large landscapes depict the mysterious and dramatic aspects of nature. He later relied on mood and reverie in smaller, more dreamlike images. He also wrote poetry and fiction, and his theories on art were published posthumously as Lectures on Art (1850)
officially International Conference on Naval Limitation Conference held in Washington, D.C. (1921-22), to limit the naval arms race and negotiate Pacific security agreements. Several major and minor treaty agreements were drafted and signed: the Four-Power Pact (signed by Britain, Japan, France, and the U.S.) stipulated mutual consultation regarding any issue in the Pacific and affirmed respect for the Pacific territories of signatory nations. The Five-Power Naval Limitation Treaty (which Italy also signed) imposed proportional limits on the number of warships each signatory nation could maintain and mandated some actual disarmament; it lapsed in 1936 when Japan was refused equality with the U.S. and Britain. Another agreement regulated the use of submarines and outlawed poison gas in warfare. A Nine-Power Pact (with The Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, and China) affirmed China's sovereignty
a US writer known especially for his stories set in New York at the time when it was ruled by the Dutch. His two most famous stories are Rip van Winkle, about a man who falls asleep for 20 years, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, about a teacher who meets a "Headless horseman" (1783-1859). born April 3, 1783, New York, N.Y., U.S. died Nov. 28, 1859, Tarrytown, N.Y. U.S. author, called the "first American man of letters. " He began his career as a lawyer but soon became a leader of the group that published Salmagundi (1807-08), a periodical containing whimsical essays and poems. After his comic A History of New York...by Diedrich Knickerbocker (1809), he wrote little until his very successful The Sketch Book (1819-20), containing his best-known stories, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle." It was followed by a sequel, Bracebridge Hall (1822). He held diplomatic positions in Madrid, Spain, and writings such as The Alhambra (1832) reflect his interest in Spain's past
a tall obelisk (=stone structure) on the Mall (=park area) in Washington, D.C., which was built to show respect and admiration for George Washington, the first president of the US. Obelisk in Washington, D.C., U.S., honouring George Washington, the first president of the United States. Based on a design by Robert Mills (b. 1781 d. 1855), it was built between 1848 and 1884. It is constructed of granite faced with Maryland marble and is some 555.5 ft (169.3 m) high, the world's tallest masonry structure. Inserted in the interior walls are more than 190 carved stones presented by various individuals, cities, states, and foreign countries. It is located on grounds that are a westward extension of the Mall. The top can be reached by elevator or by an interior iron stairway. It underwent a major restoration in the 1990s and reopened in 2001
Private university in St. Louis, Mo. It was founded as a seminary in 1853 and became a university in 1857. It is a comprehensive research and teaching institution, with one of the leading medical schools in the U.S. It has a college of arts and sciences, a graduate school, and schools of architecture, business (the Olin School), engineering and applied science, fine arts, law, and social work. Research facilities include a space science centre, a centre for the study of Islamic culture and society, and an institute for the deaf
Private university in Lexington, Virginia, U.S. Founded as an academy in 1749, it is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the U.S. It is named for George Washington, who presented the academy with a gift of $50,000 in 1796, and Robert E. Lee, who served as its president from 1865 to 1870. It became coeducational in 1984. It has an undergraduate college, a law school, and a school of commerce, economics, and politics. Among its offerings are programs in engineering, environmental studies, and journalism
born April 5, 1856, Franklin county, Va., U.S. died Nov. 14, 1915, Tuskegee, Ala. U.S. educator and reformer. Born into slavery, he moved with his family to West Virginia after emancipation. He worked from age nine, then attended (1872-75) and joined the staff of the Hampton (Va.) Normal and Agricultural Institute. In 1881 he was selected to head the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, a new teacher-training school for African Americans, and he successfully transformed it into a thriving institution (later Tuskegee University). He became perhaps the most prominent African American leader of his time. His controversial conviction that African Americans could best gain equality in the U.S. by improving their economic situation through education rather than by demanding equal rights was termed the Atlanta Compromise. His books include Up from Slavery (1901)
a US teacher whose parents had been slaves, who started the Tuskegee Institute, one of the first US colleges for black people. He also wrote a book about his life called Up from Slavery (1856-1915)
born April 5, 1856, Franklin county, Va., U.S. died Nov. 14, 1915, Tuskegee, Ala. U.S. educator and reformer. Born into slavery, he moved with his family to West Virginia after emancipation. He worked from age nine, then attended (1872-75) and joined the staff of the Hampton (Va.) Normal and Agricultural Institute. In 1881 he was selected to head the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, a new teacher-training school for African Americans, and he successfully transformed it into a thriving institution (later Tuskegee University). He became perhaps the most prominent African American leader of his time. His controversial conviction that African Americans could best gain equality in the U.S. by improving their economic situation through education rather than by demanding equal rights was termed the Atlanta Compromise. His books include Up from Slavery (1901)
City (pop., 2000: 572,059), capital of the U.S. It is coextensive with the District of Columbia. Situated at the navigational head of the Potomac River, between Maryland and Virginia, it has an area of 69 sq mi (179 sq km). The site was chosen by George Washington in 1790 as a political compromise that satisfied both Northern and Southern states. Designed by Pierre-Charles L'Enfant, it is one of the few cities in the world planned expressly as a national capital. The federal government occupied it in 1800. British troops burned the city (1814) during the War of 1812. With the annexation of Georgetown in 1878, the city became coterminous with the District of Columbia. Significant buildings include the Capitol, White House, and Library of Congress. The Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, and Vietnam Veterans Memorial are among the most famous of the city's more than 300 memorials and statues. The Smithsonian Institution is in Washington, as are numerous other cultural and educational institutions and foreign embassies. The economy is based on national and international political activities, scientific research, and tourism
born Dec. 28, 1954, Mount Vernon, N.Y., U.S. U.S. film actor. A graduate of Fordham University, he began his career as a stage actor. Featured in the television series St. Elsewhere (1982-88), he also appeared in movies from 1981 and won acclaim for his roles in Cry Freedom (1987), Glory (1989, Academy Award), and Mississippi Masala (1991). Praised for his portrayal of the title character in Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992), he became one of the most popular leading men of the 1990s, starring in films such as Philadelphia (1993), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), He Got Game (1998), and Training Day (2001, Academy Award)
orig. Ruth Lee Jones born Aug. 29, 1924, Tuscaloosa, Ala., U.S. died Dec. 14, 1963, Detroit, Mich. U.S. singer. Washington sang in church choirs as a child. She joined Lionel Hampton's band in 1943, embarking on a solo career in 1946. Her recordings encompassed a wide variety of idioms including rhythm and blues, jazz, and country music; her "What a Difference a Day Makes" (1959) was a pop hit. Known as "Queen of the Blues," she combined precise diction and intonation with an alternately gentle and brassy vocal timbre, and her voice was remarkable for its clarity and projection. She had remarkable vocal control. Even after she crossed over to the popular (pop) music market, in which she had her greatest commercial success, Washington retained many of her earlier fans because of her passionate, supple style
the first President of the US, from 1789 to 1797. Washington was a respected officer in the British army before he became commander of the colonial armies during the American Revolutionary War. After the war he became the leader of the Constitutional Convention and influenced the states to officially accept the new Constitution of the United States. He was elected President of the US twice, but he refused to be president for a third time (1732-99). born Feb. 22, 1732, Westmoreland county, Va. died Dec. 14, 1799, Mount Vernon, Va., U.S. American Revolutionary commander-in-chief (1775-83) and first president of the U.S. (1789-97). Born into a wealthy family, he was educated privately. In 1752 he inherited his brother's estate at Mount Vernon, including 18 slaves; their ranks grew to 49 by 1760, though he disapproved of slavery. In the French and Indian War he was commissioned a colonel and sent to the Ohio Territory. After Edward Braddock was killed, Washington became commander of all Virginia forces, entrusted with defending the western frontier (1755-58). He resigned to manage his estate and in 1759 married Martha Dandridge Custis (1731-1802), a widow. He served in the House of Burgesses (1759-74), where he supported the colonists' cause, and later in the Continental Congress (1774-75). In 1775 he was elected to command the Continental Army. In the ensuing American Revolution, he proved a brilliant commander and a stalwart leader, despite several defeats. With the war effectively ended by the capture of Yorktown (1781), he resigned his commission and returned to Mount Vernon (1783). He was a delegate to and presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention (1787) and helped secure ratification of the Constitution in Virginia. When the state electors met to select the first president (1789), Washington was the unanimous choice. He formed a cabinet to balance sectional and political differences but was committed to a strong central government. Elected to a second term, he followed a middle course between the political factions that later became the Federalist Party and the Democratic Party. He proclaimed a policy of neutrality in the war between Britain and France (1793) and sent troops to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion (1794). He declined to serve a third term (thereby setting a 144-year precedent) and retired in 1797 after delivering his "Farewell Address." Known as the "father of his country," he is universally regarded as one of the greatest figures in U.S. history
National monument, eastern Virginia, U.S. Established in 1930, it consists of 538 acres (218 hectares) located along the Potomac River. Wakefield, the house where George Washington (b. Feb. 22, 1732) spent the first three years of his life, burned in 1779. The present Memorial House was reconstructed in 1931-32 and represents a typical 18th-century Virginia plantation dwelling with a period garden
{i} (1864-1943) black American scientist, former slave who received an education and developed methods for increasing farming profitability in the South
a US scientist who studied farming and crops, and was one of the first black people in the US to become an important scientist (1860-1943). born 1861?, near Diamond Grove, Mo., U.S. died Jan. 5, 1943, Tuskegee, Ala. U.S. agricultural chemist and agronomist. Born a slave, Carver lived until age 10 or 12 on his former owner's plantation, then left and worked at a variety of menial jobs. He did not obtain a high school education until his late twenties; he then obtained bachelor's and master's degrees from Iowa State Agricultural College. In 1896 he joined Booker T. Washington at the Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in Alabama, where he became director of agricultural research. He was soon promoting the planting of peanuts and soybeans, legumes that he knew would help restore the fertility of soil depleted by cotton cropping. To make them profitable, he worked intensively with the sweet potato and the peanut (then not even recognized as a crop), ultimately developing 118 derivative products from sweet potatoes and 300 from peanuts. His efforts helped liberate the South from its untenable cotton dependency; by 1940 the peanut was the South's second largest cash crop. During World War II he devised 500 dyes to replace those no longer available from Europe. Despite international acclaim and extraordinary job offers, he remained at Tuskegee throughout his life, donating his life's savings in 1940 to establish the Carver Research Foundation at Tuskegee
born June 29, 1858, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S. died Jan. 21, 1928, New York, N.Y. U.S. army officer and engineer. After graduating from West Point, he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he gained experience in the construction of canals and harbours; he also taught engineering at West Point. Appointed by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt to direct the building of the Panama Canal, he successfully confronted complex problems of both engineering and logistics. He was appointed the Canal Zone's first governor (1914-17). In World War I, he directed procurement for and the movement of U.S. troops at home and abroad. After retiring in 1919, he served as a consultant to many organizations, including the Port of New York Authority
born May 5, 1817, Wayne county, Ind., U.S. died July 7, 1899, Irvington, Ind. U.S. politician. He was admitted to the bar in 1840 and practiced law in several Indiana towns. By the mid-1840s he was a Whig member of the Indiana state legislature and a frequent author of antislavery newspaper articles. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a member of the Free Soil Party in 1848, he was that party's vice-presidential candidate in 1852. In 1856 he helped form the Republican Party. Again serving in the House (1861-71), he played an important role in making emancipation a Northern war aim in the American Civil War. In 1867 he helped prepare articles of impeachment against Pres. Andrew Johnson. He later wrote books and articles on reform causes, including women's suffrage
born April 15, 1922, Chicago, Ill., U.S. died Nov. 25, 1987, Chicago U.S. politician and mayor of Chicago (1983-87). He practiced law and served as a city attorney (1954-58). He was elected successively to the Illinois legislature (1965-76), the state senate (1976-89), and the U.S. House of Representatives (1980-83). In 1983 he campaigned for mayor of Chicago on a platform of reform and an end to city patronage; with his election, he become the first African American to hold that post. He was reelected to a second term in 1987 but died soon after
born May 24, 1884, near Bethlehem, Ga., U.S. died Nov. 8, 1954, Chapel Hill, N.C. U.S. sociologist. In 1920 Odum joined the faculty of the University of North Carolina, where he established its departments of sociology and public welfare and founded the journal Social Forces (1922). His scholarly focus was folk sociology, particularly of Southern blacks, for whom he urged equal opportunity. His books include Southern Regions of the United States (1936) and American Regionalism (1938, with Harry Moore)
Peak in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains, northern New Hampshire. Reaching an elevation of 6,288 ft (1,917 m), it is the highest point in the northeastern U.S. and is noted for its extreme weather conditions; the world's highest wind velocity (231 mph [372 kph]) was recorded there in 1934. It is the site of Mount Washington Observatory. The area is included in the White Mountain National Forest
Morning daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the dominant paper in the U.S. capital and one of the nation's leading newspapers. Established in 1877 as a Democratic Party organ, it changed orientation and ownership several times and faced constant economic problems until financier Eugene Meyer (1875-1959) purchased it in 1933. Under the leadership of Meyer, his son-in-law Philip L. Graham (publisher from 1946 until his death in 1963), and his daughter, Katharine Graham (publisher from 1969-79), it acquired domestic and international prestige, especially in its coverage of the Watergate scandal. Donald E. Graham was named publisher in 1979. The newspaper is known for its sound and independent editorial stance and thorough, accurate reporting