The Free Soil Party was an American political party which came into existence in 1848 and advocated non-extension of slavery in the newly acquired territory of the United States. It was composed of Abolitionists - formerly Democrats and Whigs, who had left their party conventions upon their failure to support that issue. Their first convention was held in 1848 when they polled a large popular vote, but secured no electoral count. Their second convention in 1852 was held at Pittsburgh and secured them less votes than before. In 1854 they opposed the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and in 1856 became absorbed in the newly-formed Republican party. Research Free Soil Party
The Jehovah's Witnesses are a religious movement, first known as Bible Students, organised in the early 1870s by Charles Taze Russell in Pittsburgh. Jehovah's Witnesses accept the Bible as their sole authority, worshipping Jehovah and acknowledging Jesus Christ as God's son and spokesman. They believe that 144000, the Christian congregation, will rule with Christ in his heavenly kingdom over the rest of an obedient mankind, who will live on a paradise earth. They do not engage in politics or blood transfusions and are pacifists. Research Jehovah's Witnesses
The Thaw Case was an American murder trial. The trial centred around the accusation that on the night of the 23rd of June 1906, in New York, Harry K Thaw, the son of a Pittsburgh millionaire, deliberately shot and murdered the leading architect Stanford White because he had insulted Thaw's wife. The trials lasted from January 1907 until July 1915, causing a world-wide sensation for its revelations of life among a certain class of New Yorkers, and for the long legal battle to save the life of the murderer on the grounds that he was insane at the time of the killing. Released on the 17th of July 1915, having supposedly recovered from his insanity, Thaw was re-arrested in 1917 and confined to a lunatic asylum. Research Thaw Case
Andrew Carnegie was an American industrialist and philanthropist. He was born at Dunfermline in 1835 and died in 1919. In May 1848 his parents left Dunfermline for America, settling in Pittsburgh. His prosperity began with the formation of the Pullman Palace Car Company which received a large contract from the Union Pacific Railroad; while Carnegie himself became manager of the Pittsburgh division of the PennsylvaniaRailroad, a position he held until after the civil war. After a visit to Scotland in 1868 he broke new ground by founding the Union Mills, Pittsburgh, for the manufacture of steel rails, which he noted were being preferred to those of iron. He also acquired the Edgar Thomson Steel Works, and in 1875 all the concerns in which he was interested were amalgamated under the title of 'Carnegie Brothers and Co'. In 1883 the HomesteadSteel Works were acquired, and along with several other works, were formed into one concern under the title 'The CarnegieSteel Company Limited'. Carnegie became very popular through his
benevolence, assisting the establishment of local libraries and church organs, paying class fees for students at Scottish universities and making donations to other universities and technical schools. In April 1905 he presented two million pounds sterling to provide pensions for teachers in American universities and colleges. Research Andrew Carnegie
The Harmonists were a religious sect founded at Wurtemberg in 1788 by George Rapp and Frederick Rapp. They endeavoured to re-establish the social practices of the early Christian church, holding all goods in common. They were persecuted and so moved to America in 1803 settling in the Connoquenessing Valley, twenty-five miles from Pittsburgh. There they built houses, churches, mills and factories, and by 1805 there were 750 persons settled there who formed the Harmony Society. After two years they decided to adoptcelibacy, and prohibited the use of tobacco. This caused the withdrawal of certain of their people. In 1814 the Harmonists purchased 30,000 acres of land in Posey County, Indiana, settling there in 1815. There they remained until 1824, calling their settlement 'Harmony'. In 1824 they removed to their last location, on the Ohio River, not far from Pittsburgh. In 1831, a German .adventurer, Bernhard Muller, settling among them, caused dissensions and a split in the society. Research Harmonists
John Stanwix was an English soldier. He was born in 1690 and died in 1765. He went to America from England in 1756 as commander of a battalion and was assigned command in the Southern District. In 1758 he constructed the important fortress called Fort Stanwix at the Oneida carrying-place on the Mohawk River. In 1759 he repaired old Fort Du Quesne at Pittsburgh. He returned to England in 1760. Research John Stanwix
Vladimir Kosma Zworykin was an American physicist and electronic engineer. He was born in 1889 at Murom, Russia and died in 1982. He went to the Institute of Technology in St Petersburg, the College de France, and, after his emigration to the USA in 1919, at the University of Pittsburgh. He became an American citizen in 1924 and in 1929 director of the Electronic Research Laboratory of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) at Princeton. He made important contributions to both the transmission and the reception of television and was largely responsible for the development, during the 1920s and 1930s, of the televisioncamera and picture tube. He also directed the group that in 1939 successfully produced a powerful electron microscope. Research Vladimir Zworykin
Abbreviations
Research Free Soil Party
