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Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Vassar, Matthew 1792-1868 (search)
Vassar, Matthew 1792-1868 Philanthropist: born in Tuddenham, England, April 29, 1792; came to the United States with his father in 1796, when the family settled on a small farm near Poughkeepsie, N. Y., and established a brewery of ale in a small way. In 1812 Matthew began the business at Poughkeepsie, and by this and other enterprises he accumulated a large fortune. In declining life, as he was childless, he contemplated the establishment of some public institution. At the suggestion of his niece (Miss Booth), a successful teacher of girls, he resolved to establish a college for young women, and in February, 1861, at a meeting of a board of trustees which he had chosen, he delivered to them $408,000 for the founding of such an institution, now known as Vassar College (q. v.). A spacious building was erected, and in September, 1865, it was opened with a full faculty and over 300 students. Other gifts to the college and bequests in his will increased the amount to over $800,000.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), State of Virginia, (search)
cis A. Pierpont1865 to 1867 Henry A. Wells1867 to 1869 Gilbert C. Walker1869 to 1874 James L. Kemper1874 to 1878 F. W. M. Holliday1878 to 1882 W. E. Cameron1882 to 1886 Fitz-Hugh Lee1886 to 1890 Philip W. McKinney1890 to 1894 Charles T. O'Ferrall1894 to 1898 J. Hoge Tyler1898 to 1902 United States Senators. Name.No. of Congress.Term. Richard Henry Lee1st to 2d1789 to 1792 William Grayson1st1789 to 1790 John Walker1st1790 James Monroe1st to 4th1790 to 1795 John Taylor2d to 3d1792 to 1794 Henry Tazewell3d to 5th1794 to 1799 Stevens Thomson Mason4th to 8th1795 to 1803 Wilson Cary Nicholas6th to 8th1800 to 1804 Andrew Moore8th to 11th1804 to 1809 William B. Giles8th to 14th1814 to 1815 John Taylor8th1808 Abraham B. Venable8th1803 to 1804 Richard Brent11th to 13th1809 to 1814 James Barbour13th to 19th1815 to 1825 Armistead T. Mason14th1816 to 1817 John W. Eppes15th1817 to 1819 James Pleasants16th to 17th1819 to 1822 John Taylor17th to 18th1822 to 1824 Little
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Wadsworth, Peleg 1748-1829 (search)
r Massachusetts. He was in the battle of Long Island: and in 1777 was made brigadiergeneral of militia, serving, in 1779, as second in command in the Penobscot expedition, where he was taken prisoner. In February, 1781, he was captured and confined in the fort at Castine, whence he escaped in June. After the war he engaged in business in Portland and in surveying, and in 1792 he was elected a State Senator. From 1792 to 1806 he was a member of Congress. He died in Hiram, Me., Nov. 18, 1829.r Massachusetts. He was in the battle of Long Island: and in 1777 was made brigadiergeneral of militia, serving, in 1779, as second in command in the Penobscot expedition, where he was taken prisoner. In February, 1781, he was captured and confined in the fort at Castine, whence he escaped in June. After the war he engaged in business in Portland and in surveying, and in 1792 he was elected a State Senator. From 1792 to 1806 he was a member of Congress. He died in Hiram, Me., Nov. 18, 1829.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Waldo, Daniel 1762-1864 (search)
Waldo, Daniel 1762-1864 Clergyman; born in Windham, Conn., Sept. 10, 1762; graduated at Yale College in 1788; was a soldier in the Revolutionary army; suffered the horrors of imprisonment in a sugar-house in New York, and was pastor and missionary from 1792. At the age of ninety-three he was chaplain of the national House of Representatives, when his voice and step were as vigorous as a man of sixty. He died in Syracuse, N. Y., July 30, 1864.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Washingtoniana. -1857 (search)
arolina and Virginia. The journey of 1,887 miles was made with the same pair of horses. Washington strongly desired to retire to private life at the close of his first term as President. The public more strongly desired his continuance in office. It was a critical time in the life of the republic, and he patriotically yielded to what seemed to be the demands of public interests, and became a candidate for re-election. The lines between the two political parties in the nation were now (1792) distinctly drawn. Opposition to the funding system was substituted for opposition to the Constitution. Both parties were in favor of the re-election of Washington, but divided on the question of who should be Vice-President. The opposition (Republicans) concentrated their votes on George Clinton; the Federalists supported John Adams. Washington received the unanimous vote of the electoral college, the members of that body then numbering 130. Adams received seventy-seven votes and Clinto
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Wentworth, Sir John 1737-1820 (search)
Wentworth, Sir John 1737-1820 Colonial governor; born in Portsmouth, N. H., Aug. 9, 1737; nephew of Benning; graduated at Harvard College in 1755. In 1766 he was sent to England as agent of the province, when the Marquis of Rockingham procured his appointment as governor of Benning Wentworth. New Hampshire, which he held in 1767-75. He was also appointed surveyor of the King's woods, which was a lucrative office. On the assumption of all political power by the Provincial Congress of New The Wentworth mansion, little Harbor, N. H. Hampshire, Sir John, the last royal governor, seeing his power depart, and fearing popular indignation, shut himself up in the fort at Portsmouth, and his house was pillaged by a mob. He prorogued the Assembly (July, 1775), retired to Boston, soon afterwards sailed to England, and remained there until 1792, when he was made lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia. He died in Halifax, N. S., April 8, 1820.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), West, Benjamin -1820 (search)
arents were Friends. He served as a private soldier under General Forbes for a short time, when, having displayed a decided talent for art, he went to Philadelphia and engaged in portrait-painting. In 1760 he visited Italy, and afterwards remained some time in France. In 1763 he went to England, and there, meeting with much encouragement in his art, made his permanent residence. He became a favorite of King George III., was a member of the Royal Academy at its foundation in 1768, and in 1792 succeeded Sir Joshua Reynolds as its president. In his picture of the Death of General Wolfe he first departed from custom, and depicted the characters in proper Benjamin West. costume; and from that time forward there was more realism in historical painting. West received large prices for his paintings. For his Christ healing the sick the British Institution gave him $15,000. One of his latest works, Death on the pale horse, is in the Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. He died in Lo
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), White House, the, Washington, D. C. (search)
White House, the, Washington, D. C. In Washington, D. C., the residence of the President of the United States. The building is architecturally attractive, being a model of the palace of the Duke of Leinster in Ireland. It is constructed of sandstone; is two stories high, 170 × 86 feet, with a colonnade of eight Ionic columns in front and a semicircular portico in the rear; and derives its name from the fact that the exterior is painted white. The cornerstone was laid in 1792; the building was first occupied by President Adams in 1800, who held the first New Year's reception in it on Jan. 1, 1801; was burned by the British in 1814; and was restored in 1818. The front door is on the north side of the building, and opens from a pillared private portion of the house. On the left-hand side is a hall from which rises the staircase that is climbed by all the people who go to see the President on business. From this supplementary hall opens the great East Room that occupies one end
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Whitney, Eli 1765-1825 (search)
Whitney, Eli 1765-1825 Inventor; born in Westboro, Mass., Dec. 8, 1765; graduated at Yale College in 1792; obtained a collegiate education largely by the earnings of his own hands. In the year of his graduation he went to Georgia, became an inmate of the family of Mrs. General Greene, and there invented his cotton-gin, which gave a wonderful impulse to the cultivation of the cotton-plant, rendering it an enormous item in the foreign and domestic commerce of the United States. The seeds of the cotton raised in the United States adhered so firmly to the fibre that it was difficult to separate them from it. The seeds were separated from the cotton-wool by the slow process of picking by hand, which was chiefly done by negro women and children. The separation of one pound of the wool from the seeds was regarded as a good day's work for one woman. So limited was the production on account of the labor that even high prices did not stimulate its cultivation, and the entire cotton cr
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Wilkinson, James 1757- (search)
es was president. Being implicated in Conway's cabal he resigned the secretaryship, and in July, 1779, was made clothier-general to the army. At the close of the war he settled in Lexington, Ky., and engaged in mercantile transactions. In 1791-92 he commanded, as lieutenant-colonel of infantry, an expedition against the Indians on the Wabash, and was made brigadier-general in 1792. He was distinguished in command of the right wing of Wayne's army on the Maumee in 1794. In 1796-98 and 18001792. He was distinguished in command of the right wing of Wayne's army on the Maumee in 1794. In 1796-98 and 1800-12 he was general-in-chief of the army. In December, 1803, as joint-commissioner with Governor Claiborne, he received Louisiana from the French; and from 1805 to 1807 was governor of Louisiana Territory. Wilkinson remained at the head of the Southern Department until his entanglement with Burr caused him to be court-martialled in 1811, when he was honorably acquitted. In 1812 he was brevetted major-general, United States army, and was made a full major-general in 1813. He reduced Mobile in
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