(1800-1891) Historian and statesman, born Worcester, Massachusetts; died Washington, DC. As secretary of the navy, 1845, he built the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and as temporary secretary of war, 1846, he issued the order to General Taylor that precipitated the Mexican War. He was U.S. Minister to Great Britain, 1846-1849, and to Berlin, 1867-1874. His most celebrated work is the monumental history of the American colonies (1834-1874). His revised edition (1883-1885) is inferior in scholarship to the original.
This dictionary contains not only definitions and explanations of every subject in Religion, Scripture, tradition, doctrine, morals, sacraments, rites, customs, devotions and symbolism, but also accounts of the Church in every continent, country, diocese; missions, notable Catholic centers, cities, and places with religious names; religious orders, church societies, sects and false religions. It has brief articles also on historical events and personages, on the Old Testament and New, and on popes, prelates, priests, men and women of distinction, showing what the Church has done for civilization and correcting many errors which have hitherto passed for history.Wikipedia
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