Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

Samuel Adams was born in Boston,

Massachusetts, on September 27, 1722.

His second cousin was John Adams, the

second president of the United States.

Sam graduated from Harvard College in

1740 and soon entered local politics.

In the 1760s Adams led protests against

the British, who ruled the colonies at the

time. He served in the Massachusetts

legislature from 1765 to 1774. In 1772

he helped organize a “committee of correspondence.”

This was a group that

coordinated anti-British activity.

Adams was among the first to call for

complete independence for the American

colonies. As a member of both Continental

Congresses, he said that

Americans must be ready to fight. In

1776 he signed the Declaration of Independence.

In 1794 Adams was elected

governor of Massachusetts. He died on

October 2, 1803.

#More to explore

Adams, John • American Revolution

• Continental Congress • Declaration of

Independence

Adaptation

Plants and animals have special characteristics,

or traits, that help them survive

in their surroundings. They develop

these traits through a process called

adaptation.

Many animals have traits that help them

hide from other animals that want to

attack them. Some insects look like a

leaf or a twig. Deer are colored shades of

brown, like the trees in the forests where

they live. In both cases, these animals

become almost invisible to their predators,

or attackers, because they blend in

with their surroundings.

Other animals have features that help

them deal with some part of their surroundings.

Frogs, alligators, and hippopotamuses

all spend a great deal of time

in the water. They all have their eyes and

Samuel Adams nostrils near the top of the head. This

26 Adams, Samuel BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

means that the animal may remain

almost completely underwater and yet

be able to see and breathe.Water birds

have webbed feet to help them paddle in

the water. Cactus plants, which live in

dry places, can store a lot of water. A

cactus has thick skin and a waxy surface.

This keeps the plant from losing water

through evaporation.

Organisms with helpful traits tend to

thrive, to reproduce, and to pass those

traits on to their own offspring. Similar

organisms that do not have these traits

do not survive as well and do not have as

much chance to reproduce. Therefore

the helpful traits are passed on and eventually

become permanent. This process

is called natural selection. It is part of

the process of evolution.

#More to explore

Animal • Evolution • Plant

Addams, Jane

The social worker Jane Addams devoted

her life to helping the poor and promoting

world peace. She founded Hull

House to serve needy immigrants in

Chicago, Illinois. It was one of the first

agencies of its kind in North America.

Jane Addams was born on September 6,

1860, in Cedarville, Illinois. She gradu-

Many animals have developed features to help them survive in their habitat. Hippopotamuses’

eyes and nostrils are on the top of the snout. This allows them to spend a lot of time

almost completely underwater. Ducks have webbed feet to help them swim. Walruses have

thick skin to protect against the cold.

Jane Addams

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Addams, Jane 27

 

ated from college in 1882 and then went

to Europe. In a poor section of London,

England, she visited Toynbee Hall. University

graduates lived there and worked

to improve life in the neighborhood. It

was known as the world’s first social

settlement. Addams took this idea back

to the United States.

In 1889 Addams and a classmate, Ellen

Gates Starr, rented a big house in Chicago.

They moved in and opened the

house to immigrants who were trying to

succeed in their new country. Addams

and Starr called their social settlement

Hull House after its builder, Charles

Hull. Hull House workers started a day

care center, a kindergarten, a gymnasium,

and an employment agency. They

taught many kinds of classes and even

set up a theater. All these programs

eventually filled 13 buildings.

Addams became involved in many social

causes. She worked to pass laws against

child labor, to protect workers’ rights,

and to win women the right to vote.

Addams believed that countries should

settle their disagreements peacefully. She

spoke out againstWorldWar I even

though her opinion made her less popular.

In 1931 she won a share of the

Nobel peace prize.

Addams lived at Hull House until her

death on May 21, 1935. The original

Hull mansion has been preserved as a

museum that honors her.

..More to explore

Chicago

Addis Ababa

Population

(2006 estimate)

2,973,000

Addis Ababa is the capital and largest

city of the East African country of

Ethiopia. It is situated on a plateau high

in the central mountains of Ethiopia.

Ethiopia’s government ministries and

houses of parliament are located in

Addis Ababa. The city also contains the

headquarters of the African Union.

Most of Ethiopia’s trade passes through

Addis Ababa. In the western part of the

city is the Mercato. It is one of the largest

open-air markets in Africa. Goods manufactured

in the city include textiles, food,

beverages, plastics, and wood products.

Addis Ababa became the capital of