Thomas Nast, self-portrait etching,
1892
COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Common nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus).
DEREK FELL
Nataraja, dancing Shiva, Indian bronze image, 1 2th- 1 3th century ad; in the Museum of Asiatic Art, Amsterdam.
COURTESY OF THE RUKSMUSEUM, AMSTERDAM
Carry Nation.
BROWN BROTHERS
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Nation ► National Film Board of Canada I 1331
their fixtures and stock with a hatchet. Jailed many times, she paid her fines with proceeds from her lectures and sales of souvenir hatchets.
Nation, The U.S. weekly journal of opinion, the oldest continuously published U.S. periodical. Founded in 1865 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Edwin L. Godkin (1831-1902) as a reformist publication, it was sold to the New York Evening Post in 1881 and was a weekly edition of the paper until 1914. While Oswald Garrison Villard (1872-1949) was owner and editor (1918-34), it moved decisively to the political left and has remained there under subsequent owners and editors, as during its outspoken oppo¬ sition to Sen. Joseph McCarthy and to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. In circulation it is one of the largest intellectual journals in America.
Nation of Islam or Black Muslims African American religious movement that mingles elements of Islam and black nationalism. It was founded in 1931 by Wallace D. Fard, who established its first mosque in Detroit, Mich. Fard retired into obscurity and his assistant Elijah Muham¬ mad, who founded a second temple in Chicago, took over in 1934. He asserted the moral and cultural superiority of Africans over whites and urged African Americans to renounce Christianity as a tool of the oppres¬ sors. His teachings also included the traditional Islamic tenets of mono¬ theism, submission to God, and strong family life. The Nation of Islam grew quickly after World War II, and in the early 1960s it achieved national prominence through the work of Malcolm X. Leadership disputes led Malcolm to form a separate organization and finally to his assassina¬ tion in 1965. In the 1970s Elijah Muhammad was succeeded by his son, Wallace D. Muhammad (b. 1933), who renamed the organization the American Muslim Mission. In 1985 he dissolved the Mission, urging its members to become orthodox Muslims. A splinter group headed by Louis Farrakhan retains the movement’s original name and principles. In the early 21st century there were approximately 10,000 members of the Nation of Islam.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration See NASA
National Assembly French Assemblee Nationale French par¬ liamentary body. The name was used first during the French Revolution to designate the revolutionary assembly formed by representatives of the Third Estate (1789) and then as a short form for the National Constituent Assembly (1789-91). It was used again when the National Assembly of 1871-75 drafted a new constitution. In the Third Republic (1875-1940), the name designated the two houses of parliament, the Senate and the Cham¬ ber of Deputies. In the Fourth Republic (1946-58) and Fifth Republic (from 1958), the name was applied only to the lower house (the former Cham¬ ber of Deputies). The National Assembly consists of 577 deputies, elected in single-seat constituencies for five-year terms.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People See NAACP
national bank In the U.S., any commercial bank chartered and super¬ vised by the federal government and operated by private individuals. National banks were created during the Civil War under the National Bank Act of 1863 to combat financial instability caused by state banks and to help finance the war effort. When these banks purchased federal bonds and deposited them with the comptroller of the currency, they were per¬ mitted to circulate national bank notes, thereby creating a stable, uniform national currency. After the Civil War, the government began to retire the bonds issued during the war, which reduced the number of national bank notes that could be issued. Concern over the inflexibility of national bank notes led to the formation of the Federal Reserve System in 1913, which all national banks were required to join. The U.S. Treasury assumed the obli¬ gation of issuing national bank notes in 1935, effectively ending the issue of money by private commercial banks.
National Basketball Association (NBA) U.S. professional bas¬ ketball league. It was formed in 1949 by the merger of two rival orga¬ nizations, the National Basketball League (founded 1937) and the Basketball Association of America (1946). In 1976 the NBA was aug¬ mented by the absorption of four teams from the former American Bas¬ ketball Association (founded 1967). The NBA membership is divided into two conferences, each with three divisions. The Eastern Conference con¬ sists of the Atlantic Division (Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors), the Central Division (Chi¬ cago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Mil¬ waukee Bucks), and the Southeast Division (Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards). The West¬
ern Conference consists of the Northwest Division (Denver Nuggets, Min¬ nesota Timberwolves, Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle SuperSonics, Utah Jazz), the Pacific Division (Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings), and the South¬ west Division (Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Hornets, San Antonio Spurs).
National Broadcasting Company See NBC
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Organiza¬ tion that administers U.S. intercollegiate athletics. It was formed in 1906 but did not acquire significant powers to enforce its rules until 1942. Headquartered at Indianapolis, Ind., it functions as a general legislative and administrative authority, formulating and enforcing rules of play for various sports and eligibility criteria for athletes. It has about 1,200 mem¬ ber schools and conducts about 80 national championships in a total of about 20 sports.
National Convention French Convention Nationale Govern¬ ing assembly (1792-95) of the French Revolution. Comprising 749 depu¬ ties elected after the overthrow of the monarchy (1792), it sought to provide a new constitution for France. The struggle between the radical Montagnards and the moderate Girondins dominated the Convention until the Girondins were purged in 1793. The democratic constitution already approved by the Convention was not put into effect while the Monta¬ gnards controlled the assembly (1793-94). After the Thermidorian Reac¬ tion (1794), the balance of power in the Convention was held by members of the Plain. The Girondins were recalled, and the Constitution of 1795 was approved for the Directory regime that replaced the Convention.
national debt or public debt Total indebtedness of a government, especially as evidenced by securities issued to investors. The national debt grows whenever the government operates a budget deficit—that is, when government spending exceeds government revenues in a year. To finance its debt, the government can issue securities such as bonds or treasury bills. The level of national debt varies from country to country, from less than 10% of the gross domestic PRODUCT (GDP) to more than double it. Public borrowing is thought to have an inflationary effect on the economy and thus is often used during recessions to stimulate consumption, investment, and employment. See also deficit financing; John Maynard Keynes.
National Education Association (NEA) Voluntary association of U.S. teachers, administrators, and other educators associated with elemen¬ tary and secondary schools and colleges and universities. Founded in 1857 as the National Teachers Assn., it is among the world’s largest profes¬ sional organizations. Operating much like a labour union, it represents its members through numerous state and local affiliates. It seeks to improve the schools and working conditions, advance the cause of public educa¬ tion, promote federal legislation, and sponsor research.