First published in 1857, this landmark reference work provides a comprehensive survey of the knowledge and culture of its time. Its articles cover a wide range of topics, from history and science to literature and art, and reflect the bold and ambitious spirit of pre-Civil War America. This edition includes thousands of articles, written by some of the leading scholars and writers of the day, and remains an essential resource for anyone interested in the intellectual life of nineteenth-century America.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

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