quetzal: All five species—the white-tipped quetzal (P. fulgidus), the crested quetzal (P. antisianus), the golden-headed quetzal (P. auriceps), the resplendent quetzal (P. mocinno), and the pavonine quetzal (P. pavoninus)—reside in the neotropics (Central America and South America).

insectivore: Natural history: The white-toothed pygmy shrew (Suncus etruscus), however, weighs less than 2.5 grams (0.09 ounce) and is perhaps the smallest living mammal. Other insectivores, such as the moonrat (Echinosorex gymnura) and the tailless tenrec (Tenrec ecaudatus), attain the size of a small rabbit. Most insectivores are either…

white-toothed shrew, (genus Crocidura), any of 164 species of mouse-sized African and Eurasian insectivores making up nearly half of the more than 325 species of true shrews (family Soricidae). No other genus of mammals contains as many species. Seven were named during the last decade of the 20th

wild-water racing, competitive canoe or kayak racing down swift-flowing, turbulent streams called wild water (often “white water” in the United States). The sport developed from the riding of rapids in small boats and rafts, a necessary skill for explorers, hunters, and fishermen. Later it became

puffbird: The white-whiskered puffbird (M. panamensis) has the interesting habit of plugging the entrance to its nest burrow with green leaves at night.

chough: …the family Corcoracidae is the white-winged chough (Corcorax melanorhamphus) of Australian forests. It is almost identical to the corvid choughs but has white wing patches and a less powerful, black bill. Flocks feed on the ground, with much jumping about. The mud-walled nest, high in a tree, is made and…

crossbill: The spruce-loving white-winged crossbill (L. leucoptera) occurs throughout the colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It wanders widely, but when it finds a good crop of cones, it may nest there, even in midwinter. An isolated variety of the species lives in the pine forests of Hispaniola.…

scoter: The white-winged, or velvet, scoter (M. deglandi, or fusca) is nearly circumpolar in distribution north of the Equator, as is the black, or common, scoter (M., or sometimes Oidemia, nigra). The black scoter is the least abundant in the New World. All three species of scoter…

vampire bat: … (Desmodus rotundus), together with the white-winged vampire bat (Diaemus, or Desmodus, youngi) and the hairy-legged vampire bat (Diphylla ecaudata) are the only sanguivorous (blood-eating) bats. The common vampire bat thrives in agricultural areas and feeds on livestock such as cattle, pigs, and chickens. The other two vampires are primarily restricted…

silversides, any of several species of small slim schooling fish of the family Atherinidae (order Atheriniformes), found in freshwater and along coasts around the world in warm and temperate regions. Silversides are named for the wide silvery stripe usually present on each side. They have two

pine: Major North American pines: The whitebark pine (P. albicaulis) extends along mountain slopes from British Columbia to California and eastward to Montana and Wyoming. The Mexican white pine (P. strobiformis) attains its northern limits in the southwestern United States.

wave: Physical characteristics of surface waves: …pointed crests break to form whitecaps. In shallow water the long-amplitude waves distort, because crests travel faster than troughs to form a profile with a steep rise and slow fall. As such waves travel into shallower water on a beach, they steepen until breaking occurs.

Rachel Whiteread: …had stood vacant on the Whitechapel Gallery for more than a century. Other commissions included US Embassy (Flat pack house) (2013–15), wall-mounted casts of a mid-century prefabricated house for the U.S. Embassy in London, and Cabin, a concrete cast of the interior of a wood shed, which was unveiled on…

Liz Phair: Whip-Smart and Whitechocolatespaceegg: Whitechocolatespaceegg, Phair’s third full-length album, was released in 1998 after being delayed because of disagreements with Capitol Records (which was distributing the album) about its lack of radio-friendly content. Phair had also married and had a child in the interim between her second and third…

Hereford, popular breed of beef cattle, the product of generations of breeding work on the part of landed proprietors and tenant farmers in the county of Herefordshire (now in Hereford and Worcester county), England. Herefordshire was noted for its luxuriant grasses, and in that district for many

Adirondack Mountains: …of the higher ones, including Whiteface Mountain (4,867 feet [1,483 metres]), reveal bare rock walls in vertical escarpments.

Frank Nelson Doubleday was an American publisher and founder of the book-publishing firm Doubleday & Company, Inc. At the age of 15 Doubleday quit school to work for Charles Scribner’s Sons, publishers, and he became manager of Scribner’s Magazine when it was begun in 1886. In 1897, with Samuel S.

George Whitefield was a Church of England evangelist who, by his popular preaching, stimulated the 18th-century Protestant revival throughout Britain and in the British American colonies. In his school and college days Whitefield experienced a strong religious awakening that he called a “new

whitefish, any of several valuable silvery food fishes (family Salmonidae, or in some classifications, Coregonidae), generally found in cold northern lakes of Europe, Asia, and North America, often in deep water. Whitefish are like trout in having an adipose (fleshy) fin but have larger scales,

Whitefish Bay, southeastern arm of Lake Superior, the centre of which forms the border of Ontario (Can.) and Michigan (U.S.). The bay, 30 miles (48 km) long (northwest to southeast) and 15 to 34 miles (24 to 55 km) wide, is fed by the Tahquamenon River and connects to the southeast with Lake Huron

whitefly, any sap-sucking member of the insect family Aleyrodidae (order Homoptera). The nymphs, resembling scale insects, are flat, oval, and usually covered with a cottony substance; the adults, 2–3 mm (0.08–0.12 inch) long, are covered with a white opaque powder and resemble tiny moths. The four

Whitefriars Theatre, private London playhouse located in the priory of the Whitefriars monastery on the north side of the River Thames. Michael Drayton and Thomas Woodford converted the refectory hall to a private theatre in 1606, perhaps inspired by the conversion of the Blackfriars 30 years

Whitehall, street and locality in the City of Westminster, London. The street runs between Charing Cross and the Houses of Parliament. The name Whitehall also applies to the cluster of short streets, squares, and governmental buildings adjoining the street. Whitehall has been the site of principal

Whitehall Palace, former English royal residence located in Westminster, London, on a site between the Thames River and the present-day St. James’s Park. York Place, the London residence of the archbishops of York since 1245, originally occupied the site. Cardinal Wolsey enlarged the mansion and

Whitehaven, Irish Sea port, Copeland district, administrative county of Cumbria, historic county of Cumberland, northwestern England. The Lowther family created a new port there in the 17th century as an outlet for shipping coal, especially to Dublin, from their local mines, and they laid out a new

Alfred North Whitehead was an English mathematician and philosopher who collaborated with Bertrand Russell on Principia Mathematica (1910–13) and, from the mid-1920s, taught at Harvard University and developed a comprehensive metaphysical theory. Whitehead’s grandfather Thomas Whitehead was a

Colson Whitehead is an American author known for innovative novels that explore social themes, including racism, while often incorporating fantastical elements. He was the first writer to win a Pulitzer Prize for consecutive books: the historical novels The Underground Railroad (2016) and The

Colson Whitehead is an American author known for innovative novels that explore social themes, including racism, while often incorporating fantastical elements. He was the first writer to win a Pulitzer Prize for consecutive books: the historical novels The Underground Railroad (2016) and The

Henry Whitehead was a British mathematician who greatly influenced the development of homotopy. As a Commonwealth research fellow (1929–32), Whitehead studied under the American mathematician Oswald Veblen at Princeton University and gained his Ph.D. in 1932. Their collaborative publications

Henry Whitehead was a British mathematician who greatly influenced the development of homotopy. As a Commonwealth research fellow (1929–32), Whitehead studied under the American mathematician Oswald Veblen at Princeton University and gained his Ph.D. in 1932. Their collaborative publications

Robert Whitehead was a British engineer who invented the modern torpedo. In 1856, after serving an apprenticeship in Manchester and working in Marseille, Milan, and Trieste, he organized, with local capital, a marine-engineering works, Stabilimento Tecnico Fiumano, in Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia).

William Whitehead was a British poet laureate from 1757 to 1785. Whitehead was educated at Winchester College and Clare Hall, Cambridge, becoming a fellow in 1740. At Cambridge he published a number of poems, including a heroic epistle Ann Boleyn to Henry the Eighth (1743), and in 1745 he became

iron processing: White iron: Whiteheart malleable iron is made by using an oxidizing atmosphere to remove carbon from the surface of white iron castings heated to a temperature of 900° C (1,650° F). Blackheart malleable iron, on the other hand, is made by annealing white iron in a neutral…

Whitehorse, city and capital (since 1952) of Yukon, Canada, located on the Yukon (Lewes) River just below Miles Canyon and the former Whitehorse Rapids (now submerged beneath Schwatka Lake, created after 1958 by a hydropower dam). It is the Yukon headquarters of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Vale of White Horse: …856 feet (285 metres) at Whitehorse Hill, on which a gigantic figure (374 feet [114 metres] long) of a horse is cut, the turf having been removed to reveal the white chalky subsoil. It is of unknown origin and date but is certainly prehistoric. A number of other prehistoric remains…

William Thomson, Baron Kelvin: Early life: …Stokes prompted a rebuttal by E.O.W. Whitehouse, the Atlantic Telegraph Company’s chief electrician. Whitehouse claimed that practical experience refuted Thomson’s theoretical findings, and for a time Whitehouse’s view prevailed with the directors of the company. Despite their disagreement, Thomson participated, as chief consultant, in the hazardous early cable-laying expeditions. In…

Sheldon Whitehouse is an American politician who was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 2006 and began representing Rhode Island in that body the following year. In 2024 Whitehouse comfortably won reelection against Republican challenger Patricia Morgan. He was born in New York, the son of

Brett Whiteley was an Australian painter who was admired for the sensuous power of his paintings and his superb draftsmanship. Whiteley studied at the Julian Ashton art school in Sydney and spent several months in Italy on a traveling art scholarship. In London he was an instant success in the

Bulstrode Whitelocke was an English republican lawyer, an influential figure in Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth regime. Whitelocke was the son of Sir James Whitelocke, a King’s Bench judge, and became a barrister in 1626 and served in the Parliament of the same year. He was elected to the Long

Paul Whiteman was an American bandleader, called the “King of Jazz” for popularizing a musical style that helped to introduce jazz to mainstream audiences during the 1920s and 1930s. Whiteman, who was originally a violinist, conducted a 40-piece U.S. Navy band in 1917–18 and then developed a hotel

Native American: The Clovis and Folsom cultures: In 1929 teenager Ridgley Whiteman found a similar site near Clovis, New Mexico, albeit with mammoth rather than bison remains. The Folsom and Clovis sites yielded the first indisputable evidence that ancient Americans had co-existed with and hunted the megafauna, a possibility that most scholars had previously met…

blueprint: …as the blueprint and the whiteprint, or diazotype. In blueprinting, the older method, the drawing to be copied, made on translucent tracing cloth or paper, is placed in contact with paper sensitized with a mixture of ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide, which is then exposed to light. In the…

Rachel Whiteread is a British artist known for her monumental sculptures that represent what is usually considered to be negative space. She won the Turner Prize in 1993, becoming the honour’s first woman recipient, and represented Great Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1997. Whiteread, whose

Florence: The early period: …merchants), the latter by the Whites (Bianchi; the lesser citizens).

Voting Rights Act: Background: tests, grandfather clauses, whites-only primaries, and other measures disproportionately disqualified African Americans from voting. The result was that by the early 20th century nearly all African Americans were disfranchised. In the first half of the 20th century, several such measures were declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.…

bullhead shark: …of the eastern Pacific Ocean, whitespotted bullhead shark (H. ramalheira) of the western Indian Ocean, and the Oman bullhead shark (H. omanensis) of the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.

hawthorn: Common species: …hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and the smooth hawthorn, also known as whitethorn, (C. laevigata). The smooth hawthorn has given rise to several cultivated varieties with showier flower clusters in pink and red, though it and other ornamental species often suffer from leaf spot, fire blight, and cedar hawthorn rust, which cause…

whitethroat, (Sylvia communis), typical Old World warbler of the family Sylviidae (order Passeriformes); it breeds in western Eurasia and northwestern Africa and winters in Africa and India. It is 14 cm (5 1 2 inches) long, with red-brown wing patches and longish white-edged tail; the male is

shark: Hazards to humans: (Galeocerdo cuvier), bull, oceanic whitetip (C. longimanus), blue, and hammerhead. Of course, the larger the shark, the more formidable the attack, but several small specimens can be hazardous as well, a fact well attested to by seasonal attacks off the southeastern coast of the United States.

whiteware, any of a broad class of ceramic products that are white to off-white in appearance and frequently contain a significant vitreous, or glassy, component. Including products as diverse as fine china dinnerware, lavatory sinks and toilets, dental implants, and spark-plug insulators,

Ntozake Shange: …number of children’s books, including Whitewash (1997), Daddy Says (2003), and Ellington Was Not a Street (2004).

United States: The Bill Clinton administration: The resulting inquiry, known as Whitewater—the name of the housing development corporation at the center of the controversy—was led from 1994 by independent counsel Kenneth Starr. Although the investigation lasted several years and cost more than $50 million, Starr was unable to find conclusive evidence of wrongdoing by the Clintons.…

Mogollon Mountains: Topped by Whitewater Baldy Peak (10,892 feet [3,320 metres]), the mountains are named for Don Juan Mogollon, Spanish governor (1712–15) of New Mexico province. Sometimes considered a segment of the southern Rockies, they are a headstream region for the Gila River and form part of the Gila…

Great Drought: … of 500 bc and the Whitewater Drought of ad 300. Notably, all these dates appear to be related to major upheavals in the cultures of North and Central America.

ageratum, (genus Ageratum), any of about 40 species of herbs in the genus Ageratum (family Asteraceae). Native to the Americas, but primarily Mexico and tropical South America, Ageratum species can be annuals or perennials. They have toothed ovate leaves arranged oppositely along the stem. Similar

Highland Park, city, Wayne county, southeastern Michigan, U.S. A small part of the city limits touches the town of Hamtramck; both towns are otherwise completely surrounded by Detroit. Settled in the early 1800s, it was first called Nabor and then Whitewood. It was incorporated as a village in

basswood, (Tilia americana), species of linden tree of the hibiscus, or mallow, family (Malvaceae) common to North America. Basswood is found in a vast area of eastern and southeastern North America and centred in the Great Lakes region. A large shade tree, basswood provides wood for beehives,

tulip tree, (Liriodendron tulipifera), North American ornamental and timber tree of the magnolia family (Magnoliaceae), order Magnoliales, not related to the true poplars. The tulip tree occurs in mixed-hardwood stands in eastern North America. It is taller than all other eastern broad-leaved

whitework, embroidery worked in white thread on white material, originated in India and China and popular in the West since the Middle Ages as decoration for personal, table, and various church linens. Especially favoured in the 15th century as embellishment for underclothing, whitework, sometimes

Ernest Claes: …mark with De Witte (1920; Whitey), a regional novel about a playful, prankish youngster. The partly autobiographical tale was made into a film in 1934 and again in 1980.

bridge: The Whitfeld six: The most famous of all double-dummy problems was proposed by W.H. Whitfeld, a mathematician at the University of Cambridge, in 1885 and is called the Whitfeld six because each hand has six cards. Whist players of the day could make nothing of it,…

African American literature: Prose, drama, and poetry: She and James M. Whitfield, author of a volume of spirited protest poetry titled America and Other Poems (1853), helped ensure that the 1850s would become the first African American literary renaissance.

Absolutely Fabulous: June Monsoon, Eddy’s mother (June Whitfield), is an eccentric kleptomaniac whom Eddy apparently despises and constantly insults. The main cast is rounded out by Bubble (Jane Horrocks), Eddy’s dim-witted personal assistant and sometime nemesis. The show focuses on Eddy and Patsy’s juvenile adventures as they try to keep up…

Mal Whitfield was an American middle-distance runner, world-record holder for the 880-yard race (1950–54), for the 1,000-metre race (1953), and, as a member of the U.S. team, for the 4 × 440-yard relay race (1952–56) and the 4 × 880-yard relay race (1952). Whitfield ran for Ohio State University

Mal Whitfield was an American middle-distance runner, world-record holder for the 880-yard race (1950–54), for the 1,000-metre race (1953), and, as a member of the U.S. team, for the 4 × 440-yard relay race (1952–56) and the 4 × 880-yard relay race (1952). Whitfield ran for Ohio State University

Aerosmith: …10, 1950, Boston, Massachusetts), guitarist Brad Whitford (b. February 23, 1952, Winchester, Massachusetts), bassist Tom Hamilton (b. December 31, 1951, Colorado Springs, Colorado), and drummer Joey Kramer (b. June 21, 1950, New York City).

Get Out: Plot: …to her father, Dean (Bradley Whitford), a neurosurgeon, and her mother, Missy (Catherine Keener), a hypnotherapist. The couple’s frequent race-related comments make Chris uncomfortable. He then meets the estate’s groundskeeper, Walter (Marcus Henderson), and housekeeper, Georgina (Betty Gabriel), both of whom are Black and exhibit eerie behavior. Shortly before…

John Whitgift was the archbishop of Canterbury who did much to strengthen the Anglican church during the last years of Elizabeth I and to secure its acceptance by her successor, James I. He was the first bishop to be appointed to the Privy Council by Elizabeth, who entirely trusted and supported

Dawn Powell: Powell published Whither, her first novel, in 1925. It is an early example of a story of a Midwestern transplant in New York City. Once it was published, however, she refused to acknowledge it and always referred to her next book, She Walks in Beauty (1928), as…

Whithorn, royal burgh (town) in Dumfries and Galloway region, historic county of Wigtownshire, southwestern Scotland. It lies on the peninsula between Luce and Wigtown bays. One of the oldest Christian centres in Britain, it was founded about ad 397 by St. Ninian, who built a small whitewashed

drum: …fish of the Americas; the kingfish, or whiting (Menticirrhus saxatilis), of the Atlantic, notable among drums in that it lacks an air bladder; and the sea drum, or black drum (Pogonias cromis), a gray or coppery red, western Atlantic fish.

putty: Whiting putty of a high grade consists of 85 to 90 percent whiting blended with 10 to 15 percent boiled linseed oil. White-lead whiting putty has an admixture of 10 percent white lead, reducing the amount of whiting proportionately. Prepared putty should roll freely in…

whitefish: …by such other names as Lake Superior whitefish, whiting, and shad. It averages about 2 kg (4.5 pounds) in weight.

whiting, (species Gadus, or Merlangius, merlangus), common marine food fish of the cod family, Gadidae. The whiting is found in European waters and is especially abundant in the North Sea. It is carnivorous and feeds on invertebrates and small fishes. It has three dorsal and two anal fins and a

personality: Sex differences: …study by the American anthropologists Beatrice B. Whiting and Carolyn P. Edwards found that males were consistently more aggressive than females in seven cultures, suggesting that there is a predisposition in males to respond aggressively to provocative situations, although how and whether the attacking response occurs depends on the social…

John Robert Whiting was a playwright whose intellectually demanding dramas avoided the audience-pleasing formulas current in the early 1950s and paved the way for the revolution in English drama that took place in mid-decade. The son of a solicitor, he was educated at Taunton School, Somerset, and

Romeo and Juliet: …inexperienced actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who at the time of filming were ages 15 and 17, respectively. The acclaimed director provided his trademark sweeping production design, emulating the actual societal conditions in which the story takes place. His version resonates with a realism that previous film versions lack.

The Great American Songbook: Lee, Johnny Mathis, Al Jolson, Margaret Whiting, Louis Armstrong, Sam Cooke, Sarah Vaughan, and Nina Simone. Musicians have created dazzling instrumental versions of some of the songs, including John Coltrane’s interpretation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “My Favorite Things” and Thelonious Monk’s

Sarah Frances Whiting was an American physicist and astronomer who advanced the scientific education of women in the 19th century. Whiting was the daughter of Joel Whiting, a teacher, and Elizabeth Comstock. In 1865 she graduated from Ingham University (the first university for women in the United

Gough Whitlam was an Australian politician and lawyer who introduced a number of policy measures and social reforms as prime minister of Australia (1972–75), but his troubled administration was cut short when he was dismissed by the governor-general. Whitlam was born in Kew, a suburb of Melbourne.

Gough Whitlam was an Australian politician and lawyer who introduced a number of policy measures and social reforms as prime minister of Australia (1972–75), but his troubled administration was cut short when he was dismissed by the governor-general. Whitlam was born in Kew, a suburb of Melbourne.

Whitley Council, in Great Britain, any of the bodies made up of representatives of labour and management for the promotion of better industrial relations. An original series of councils, named for J.H. Whitley, chairman of the investigatory committee (1916–19) who recommended their formation, were

Hollywood: Real-estate magnate H.J. Whitley, known as the “Father of Hollywood,” subsequently transformed Hollywood into a wealthy and popular residential area. At the turn of the 20th century, Whitley was responsible for bringing telephone, electric, and gas lines into the new suburb. In 1910, because of an inadequate…

motion-picture technology: Special effects: Others, notably Albert Whitlock, have revived the old practice of making matte effects on the camera negative. In the silent film days, this was achieved using a glass shot in which the actors were photographed through a pane of glass on which the background had been painted.…

Eric Clapton: …drummer Jim Gordon, and keyboardist Bobby Whitlock) into a new band called Derek and the Dominos, with Clapton as lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. The guitarist Duane Allman joined the group in making the classic double album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970), which is regarded as Clapton’s masterpiece…

muckraker: Brand Whitlock, who wrote The Turn of the Balance (1907), a novel opposing capital punishment, was also a reform mayor of Toledo, Ohio. Thomas W. Lawson, a Boston financier, provided in “Frenzied Finance” (Everybody’s, 1904–05) a major exposé of stock-market abuses and insurance fraud.

Elizabeth Whitlock was a noted actress in England and the United States. The fifth child of Roger and Sarah Kemble, Elizabeth took naturally to the stage. She often went with her elder sisters Sarah Siddons and Frances Kemble Twiss to the Drury Lane Theatre, where she first appeared as Portia in

whitlow grass, (genus Draba), genus of more than 300 species of plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). They are distributed primarily throughout the New World, especially in the northern temperate region and mountainous areas, though some species (formerly of the genus Erophila) are native to

Whitman, town (township), Plymouth county, eastern Massachusetts, U.S., just east of Brockton. The site was settled about 1670, and the town of South Abington (or Little Comfort) was formed and incorporated in 1875 from parts of Abington and East Bridgewater. The name was changed in 1886 to honour

Washington: Education of Washington: They include Whitman College (1882) in Walla Walla, the University of Puget Sound (1888) in Tacoma, Gonzaga University (1887) in Spokane, and Seattle University (1891).

Marcus Whitman: The Whitman Massacre directed national attention to the difficulties faced by settlers in the Far West and contributed to early passage of a bill to organize the Oregon Territory (1848). It also led directly to the Cayuse War, which did not end until 1850. Whitman Mission…

African American literature: The late 19th and early 20th centuries: The traditionalists were led by Albery Allson Whitman, who made his fame among Black readers with two book-length epic poems, Not a Man, and Yet a Man (1877) and The Rape of Florida (1884), the latter written in Spenserian stanzas.

Charles Whitman was an American mass murderer responsible for the deadly Texas Tower shooting of 1966. On August 1 of that year, having earlier in the day killed his wife and mother, Whitman fired down from the clock tower on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, killing 14 people and

Charles Whitman was an American mass murderer responsible for the deadly Texas Tower shooting of 1966. On August 1 of that year, having earlier in the day killed his wife and mother, Whitman fired down from the clock tower on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin, killing 14 people and

New Jersey: Growth of the contemporary state: In 1993 Republican Christine Todd Whitman became the first female governor of New Jersey.

Marcus Whitman was an American physician, Congregational missionary to the Indians in the territories of present-day Washington and Oregon, and a pioneer who helped open the Pacific Northwest to settlement. After practicing medicine in Canada and New York, Whitman in 1835 offered his services to

Meg Whitman is an American business executive and politician who served as president and CEO of eBay (1998–2008), an online auction company, and later of the technology company Hewlett Packard (2011–15). After the latter restructured, she served as CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (2015–18).

Meg Whitman is an American business executive and politician who served as president and CEO of eBay (1998–2008), an online auction company, and later of the technology company Hewlett Packard (2011–15). After the latter restructured, she served as CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (2015–18).

American frontier: The role of women on the frontier: In the mid-1830s Narcissa Whitman and Eliza Spalding became the first white women to cross the Continental Divide when they accompanied their husbands—Marcus Whitman and Henry Harmon Spalding—on a Congregationalist mission in the Northwest. Only when settlers came to clear a bit of land and establish a homestead…

Sarah Helen Whitman was an American poet and essayist, noted for her literary criticism and perhaps best remembered for her alliance with and scholarly defense of Edgar Allan Poe. Sarah Power from an early age was an avid reader of novels and of poetry, especially that of Lord Byron. In 1828 she