hide Matching Documents

Your search returned 2,284 results in 494 document sections:

... 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 ...
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Banneker, Benjamin, 1731-1806 (search)
Banneker, Benjamin, 1731-1806 A negro mathematician; born in Maryland, Nov. 9, 1731. He taught himself mathematics; and for many years, while engaged in daily labor, made the necessary calculations for and published an almanac for Maryland and the adjoining States. Mr. Jefferson presented one of his almanacs to the French Academy of Sciences, where it excited wonder and admiration, and the African almanac became well known to the scientific circles of Europe. In 1790 he was employed by the commissioners in the survey of the boundaries of the District of Columbia. His grandmother was an Englishwoman, who purchased a small plantation in Maryland, bought two slaves from a ship just from Africa and married one of them. He died in Baltimore, in October, 1806.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Bayard, James Ashton, 1767- (search)
of Huguenot descent; was graduated at Princeton in 1784; studied law under Gen. Joseph Reed; was admitted to the bar in 1787, and, settling in Delaware, soon acquired a high reputation as a lawyer. Mr. Bayard was a member of Congress from 1797 to 1803, and a conspicuous leader of the Federal party. In 1804 he was elected to the United States Senate, in which he distinguished himself in conducting the impeachment of Senator Blount. He was chiefly instrumental in securing the election of Jefferson over Burr in 1800; and made, in the House of Representatives, in 1802, a powerful defence of the existing judiciary system, which was soon overthrown. He was in the Senate when war was declared against Great Britain in 1812. In May, 1813, he left the United States on a mission to St. Petersburg, to treat for peace with Great James Ashton Bayard. Britain under Russian mediation. The mission was fruitless. In January, 1814, he went to Holland, and thence to England. At Ghent, during t
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893 (search)
f contentment in every section of the Union. and a generous belief that the benefits and burdens of government would be common to all. Himself a conspicuous illustration of what ability and ambition may do under republican institutions, he loved his country with a passion of patriotic devotion. and every waking thought was given to her advancement. He was an American in all his aspirations, and he looked to the destiny and influence of the United States with the philosophic composure of Jefferson and the demonstrative confidence of John Adams. The political events which disturbed the President's serenity for many weeks before that fateful day in July form an important chapter in his career, and, in his own judgment, involved questions of principle and of right which are vitally essential to the constitutional administration of the federal government. It would be out of place here and now to speak the language of controversy: but the events referred to. however they may continue
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Breckenridge, John, 1760-1806 (search)
did not accept, having determined to remove to Kentucky, where he settled near Lexington. He was appointed attorney-general of Kentucky in 1795. In 1798 he met Jefferson and Nicholas at Monticello and prepared the famous Kentucky resolutions of 1798, of which Jefferson claimed the authorship. In 1801 he was elected to the Unitedd Nicholas at Monticello and prepared the famous Kentucky resolutions of 1798, of which Jefferson claimed the authorship. In 1801 he was elected to the United States Senate, and resigned in 1805 to become Attorney-General under President Jefferson, which office he filled about four months. He died in Lexington, Ky., Dec. 14, 1806.d Nicholas at Monticello and prepared the famous Kentucky resolutions of 1798, of which Jefferson claimed the authorship. In 1801 he was elected to the United States Senate, and resigned in 1805 to become Attorney-General under President Jefferson, which office he filled about four months. He died in Lexington, Ky., Dec. 14, 1806.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Bryan, William Jennings, 1860- (search)
government. We believe it. We believe that it is a part of sovereignty, and can no more with safety be delegated to private individuals than we could afford to delegate to private individuals the power to make penal statutes or levy taxes. Mr. Jefferson, who was once regarded as good Democratic authority, seems to have differed in opinion from the gentleman who has addressed us on the part of the minority. Those who are opposed to this proposition tell us that the issue of paper money is a function of the bank, and that the government ought to go out of the banking business. I stand with Jefferson rather than with them, and tell them, as he did, that the issue of money is a function of government. and that the banks ought to go out of the governing business. They complain about the plank which declares against life tenure in office. They have tried to strain it to mean that which it does not mean. What we oppose by that plank is the life tenure which is being built up in W
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Bryant, William Cullen, 1794-1878 (search)
mmunicated rhymes to the county newspaper before he was ten years of age. His father was a distinguished physician and man of letters, and took great pains in the instruction of his son. His poem on The embargo, written at the age of thirteen, evinced great precocity of intellect. Young Bryant called the embargo act a terrapin policy --the policy designed by it of shutting up the nation in its own shell, as it were, like the terrapin with its head. In that poem he violently assailed President Jefferson. and revealed the intensity of the opposition to him and his policy in New England, which made even boys bitter politicians. Alluding to Jefferson's narrow escape from capture by Tarleton in 1781, his zeal for the French, and his scientific researches, young Bryant wrote: And thou, the scorn of every patriot name, Thy country's ruin, and her council's shame! Poor, servile thing! derision of the brave! Who erst from Tarleton fled to Carter's cave ; Thou, who, when menaced by p
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Burr, Aaron, 1716- (search)
ember of the United States Senate from 1791 till 1797, Burr was a conspicuous Democratic leader in that body; and in the Presidential election in 1800 he and Thomas Jefferson had an equal number of votes in the electoral college. The House of Representatives decided the choice in favor of Jefferson on the thirty-sixth ballot, andJefferson on the thirty-sixth ballot, and Burr became Vice-President. In July, 1804, he killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel; and the next year he undertook his mad and mysterious enterprise in the West, which resulted in his trial for treason. In March, 1805, Burr's term of office as Vice-President ended, and he descended to private life an utterly ruined man. But hisith the conduct of the government, would join in the enterprise. After gathering all the information possible, Wilkinson sent, by express, two letters to President Jefferson--one official, the other confidential, in which, without mentioning any names, he gave a general outline of the proposed expedition; and then pushed forward
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Cabinet, President's (search)
at is known as the State Department. This was created by act of Congress, July 27, 1789, having been in existence, however, at that time for some months, under the name of the Department of Foreign Affairs. The first to fill the office was Thomas Jefferson. The Secretary of State has in his charge all business between our own and other governments. The department conducts the correspondence with our ministers and other agents in foreign countries, and with the representatives of other countr the War Department, was transferred, by act of Congress, to this department. The following is a list of all members of Presidential cabinets since the organization of the federal government: Secretaries of State. Name.Appointed. Thomas JeffersonSept.26,1789 Edmund RandolphJan.2,1794 Timothy Pickering Dec.10,1795 John MarshallMay13,1800 James Madison March 5, 1801 Robert Smith March 6, 1809 James Monroe April 2, 1811 John Quincy Adams March 5, 1817 Henry Clay March 7, 1825 M
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Callender, James Thompson 1792-1813 (search)
Callender, James Thompson 1792-1813 Editor and author; born in Scotland. He published in Edinburgh, in 1792, a book called Political progress of Great Britain, which so offended the authorities that he was banished from the kingdom, and went to Philadelphia, where he published the Political register in 1794-95, and the American annual register for 1796-97. He was a violent and unscrupulous opponent of Washington's administration, and delighted in abusing Hamilton and other Federalist leaders. For a season he enjoyed the friendship of Jefferson. The latter became disgusted with Callender, when the former, becoming Jefferson's enemy, calumniated him fearfully. He published the Richmond Recorder, in which he made fierce attacks upon the character of Washington and Adams. He died in Richmond, Va., in July, 1813.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Civil service, United States colonial. (search)
ordinary methods of administration and of appointment to office is to live in a fool's paradise. Only a blind national pride can believe for a moment that the average American politician or office-seeker can deal with the situation any better than the Spanish political heelers have done. In fact, the American, with his ignorance of the language and customs and his contempt for dagoes and niggers, will be even less qualified for the task. A repetition in the West Indies of the mistake of Jefferson, who committed the French and Spanish population of Louisiana to the government of Claiborne and Wilkinson, men grossly ignorant of their language, customs, institutions, and history, will make our rule less tolerable than that of Spain. A repetition in the Philippines of the government of Alaska or of South Carolina in 1869, would be a world-wide scandal, and bring more disgrace on the American name than all the fraud, stealing, and murder of the entire Reconstruction period. As a civ
... 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 ...