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Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Rumsey, James 1743-1792 (search)
Rumsey, James 1743-1792 Inventor; born in Cecil county, Md., in 1743. As early as 1784 he propelled a boat on the Potomac by machinery, and in 1786 he propelled one by steam on the same river, and obtained a patent for his discovery and invention from Virginia in 1787. A Rumsey Society, of which Franklin was a member, was formed in Philadelphia to aid him. He went to London, where a similar association was formed, and a boat and machinery were built for him. He obtained patents in Great Bent to London, where a similar association was formed, and a boat and machinery were built for him. He obtained patents in Great Britain, France, and Holland. He made a successful experiment on the Thames in 1792, but before he could complete his invention he died in London, Dec. 23, 1792. His agency in giving to the world the benefit of the steamboat was acknowledged and appreciated by the Kentucky legislature, which, in 1839, presented a gold medal to his son in token of such acknowledgment.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Shelby, Isaac (search)
nia; became a captain in 1776, and commissary in 1777, rising to the rank of colonel in 1780. He was a chief leader in the defeat of Medal presented to Isaac Shelby. Ferguson at King's Mountain, and was in other engagements, serving under Marion in 1781, and subsequently joining Greene with 500 mounted volunteers. He received from the legislature of North Carolina a vote of thanks and a sword (delivered to him in 1813) for the victory at King's Mountain. Shelby was governor of Kentucky from 1792 to 1796, and again from 1812 to 1816. At the head of 4,000 troops, he joined General Harrison in an invasion of Canada in 1813, and fought at the battle of the Thames. For his conduct there Congress gave him a gold medal. He declined the offer of a seat in President Monroe's cabinet as Secretary of War on account of his age. His last public act was serving as a commissioner with General Jackson in forming a treaty with The Chickasaw Indians. He died near Stanford, Ky., July 18, 1826.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Silver dollar, the (search)
y decreasing the weight of the copper alloy. For more than a year the authorities of the mint were preparing dies for the new dollar, and a few pattern-dollars were struck. Several devices were abandoned, and a sitting figure of Liberty was adopted, the same as on present coins. In 1840 the mint coined 61,000 of the new design of the silver dollar. There was no popular demand for this coin; but the dollar was issued from the mint from time to time until April 1, 1873, when the dollar of 1792 and 1837 ceased to have a place in the national coinage, the issue having been discontinued by act of Congress passed Feb. 12, 1873. The trade dollar, weighing 420 grains, and 900 fine, contained 7 1/2 grains more than the dollar of 1837. It was not intended for circulation at home, but for trade with Japan and other Eastern countries. The object of issuing it was to compete, if possible, with the dollars of Mexico and Spain, and to encourage the shipment of American silver to the East I
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Smallwood, William 1732-1792 (search)
Smallwood, William 1732-1792 Military officer; born in Kent county, Md., in 1732; became a colonel in the Maryland line in 1776, and his battalion, which joined Washington, at New York, before the battle of Long Island, was composed of men belonging to the best families of his native State. These suffered in that battle, at William Smallwood which Smallwood was not present. He was in the action at White Plains, about two months later; and when, late in the summer of 1777, the British, under the Howes, appeared in Chesapeake Bay, he was sent to gather the militia on the western shore of Maryland. With about 1,000 of these he joined Washington after the battle of Brandywine. He was in the battle of Germantown with his militia. While with Gates, in the South, he was promoted major-general (Sept. 15, 1780), and soon afterwards he returned to the North. Smallwood refused to serve under Baron de Steuben, who was his senior officer, and demanded that his own cornmission should b
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Snowden, James Ross 1810-1878 (search)
Snowden, James Ross 1810-1878 Numismatist; born in Chester, Pa., in 1810; graduated at Dickinson College in 1827; admitted to the bar and began practice in Franklin, Pa.; was treasurer of the United States mint in 1847-50, and director in 1853-61. He was the author of Descriptions of coin in the United States mint; Description of the medals of Washington, of National and miscellaneous medals, and of other objects of interest in the Museum of the mint, with biographical notices of the directors from 1792 to 1851; The mint at Philadelphia, etc. He died in Hulmeville, Pa., March 21, 1878.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Spaight, Richard Dobbs 1758-1862 (search)
Spaight, Richard Dobbs 1758-1862 Governor; born in Newbern, N. C., March 25, 1758; graduated at the University of Glasgow, returned to the United States in 1778 and became aide to Gen. Richard Caswell; participated in the battle of Camden; member of the North Carolina legislature in 1781-83; elected to Congress in the latter year; held a seat in the convention which drew up the Constitution of the United States in 1787; elected governor of North Carolina in 1792; and served in Congress in 1798-1801. He died in Newbern, N. C., Sept. 6, 1862.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Spangenberg, Augustus Gottlieb 1704-1792 (search)
Spangenberg, Augustus Gottlieb 1704-1792 Clergyman; born in Kletlenberg, Germany, July 15, 1704; was a benevolent teacher and helper of poor children. Joining the Moravians in 1733, he was sent as a missionary to the West Indies and North America in 1735. He established a colony in Georgia, and received a grant of land from the trustees. He was the founder of Bethlehem, a Moravian settlement in Pennsylvania, and in 1743 lie was made bishop. He crossed the Atlantic Ocean several times to look after the Church in America, and on the death of Count Zinzendorf, in 1760, he was called to the supreme council of the sect. In 1764 he was appointed supreme inspector in Upper Alsatia. In 1789 Bishop Spangenberg became president of the general directory. He died in Berthelsdorf, Saxony, Sept. 18, 1792.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), State laws, uniform (search)
e laws among their thirty odd kingdoms, grand and small duchies, principalities and free cities, on all subjects of trade and business. Austria and Prussia were then the leading German powers; the former had most of its provinces outside, the latter over threefourths of them inside, of the German Bund. Prussia, the strongest and wealthiest of the truly German States, was itself, as to its general and commercial laws, divided into three zones: the eastern being governed by a code adopted in 1792, known as the Landrecht ; some small districts to the west thereof, acquired in 1815, had retained the Gemeine Recht —that is, the imperial Roman law, as gradually adapted to modern use; while the lands along the Rhine adhered to the code Napoleon, which had been introduced there during the French domination. Like conditions prevailed in some of the other states, in which the smaller districts, conglomerated at the recasting of boundaries in 1803, enjoyed each its own system of laws. Now, t
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Stevens, Thaddeus 1792- (search)
Stevens, Thaddeus 1792- Statesman; born in Danville, Vt., April 4, 1792; graduated at Dartmouth College in 1814, and removed to York, Pa., where he taught school, studied law, and was admitted to the bar, practising for many years successfully in Gettysburg. In 1842 he removed to Lancaster, where he became a leader of the bar. Having served many years in the State legislature, he was sent to Congress in 1848, and was among the most earnest opposers of the extension of slavery. He was a member of Congress from 1857 until his death, in Washington, D. C., Aug. 11, 1868, and was a recognized leader. He was always conspicuous for his zeal and industry, and was radical in everything. He advocated the emancipation of the slaves with vehemence, urging President Lincoln to issue a proclamation to that effect, and he initiated and pressed the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. He always advocated extreme measures towards those who instigated and promoted the Civil War.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Stock-raising. (search)
onary War that much attention was paid to the improvement of the breeds of domestic animals in the United States. In 1783 some horned cattle were imported into Maryland, and passed into the hands of Matthew Patton. of Virginia, who took great pains in raising pure stock from them. He went with a considerable herd of them to Kentucky in 1794. That Patton stock made a sensible impression upon the public mind. Some short-horns were imported from England into Westchester county, N. Y., from 1792 to 1796; and these were purchased with the design of improving the breed of American cattle—the first effort of the kind. In 1815 Henry Clay introduced the Herefords from England into Kentucky. Afterwards other fine breeds came, until now we have as fine cattle as any country in the world. Associations have been formed in the West for importing choice stock, and, by importations and crossings, the production and value of cattle have greatly increased. The same may be said of American hors
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