Seton Vse-t 3 n\, Ernest Thompson orig. Ernest Evan Thompson also called Ernest E.T. Seton or Ernest Seton-Thompson (b. Aug. 14, 1860, South Shields, Durham, Eng.—d. Oct. 23, 1946, Seton Village, Santa Fe, N.M., U.S.) British-born U.S. naturalist and animal fiction writer. Seton’s family emigrated to Canada from England in 1866. He earned a living for a time as a wild-animal artist, and in 1898 he pub¬ lished his most popular book, the story collection Wild Animals I Have Known. Deeply concerned for the future of the North American prairie, he fought to establish reservations for American Indians and parks for endangered animals. In 1902 he founded the Woodcraft Indians to give children opportunities for nature study. He chaired the committee that established the Boy Scouts of America.
setter Any of three breeds derived from a medieval hunting dog that would set (lie down) when it found birds so that it and the birds could be covered with a net. Setters have long hair on the ears, chest, legs, and tail.
They weigh 44-70 lbs (20-32 kg) and stand 23-27 in. (58-69 cm). The English setter, developed in the 15th century, may be all white, black and white-and-tan, or white with dark flecks. The Gordon setter originated in 17th-century Scotland; its soft, wavy coat is black with tan mark¬ ings. The Irish setter, bred in Ireland in the 18th-cent, has a straight red coat.
Settignano, Desiderio da See Desiderio da Settignano
settlement In law, a compromise or agreement between litigants to settle the matters in dispute between them in order to dispose of and con¬ clude their litigation. Generally, as a result of the settlement, prosecution of the action is withdrawn or dismissed without any judgment being entered. The parties may, however, incorporate the terms of the settle¬ ment into a consent decree, recorded by the court. Most suits brought today are either withdrawn or settled.
Settlement, Act of (June 12, 1701) Act of Parliament that thereafter regulated the succession to the English throne. It decreed that if King William III or Princess (later Queen) Anne died without issue, the crown was to pass to James I’s granddaughter Sophie of Hanover (1630-1714) and her Protestant heirs. The act resulted in the accession of the house of Hanover in 1714. It also decreed that future monarchs must belong to the Church of England, that judges were to hold office on the basis of good behaviour rather than at the sovereign’s pleasure, and that impeachment by the House of Commons was not subject to pardon by the sovereign.
settlement house or social settlement or community centre
Neighbourhood social-welfare agency. The staff of a settlement house may sponsor clubs, classes, athletic teams, and interest groups; they may employ such specialists as vocational counselors and caseworkers. The settlement movement began with the founding of Toynbee Hall in Lon¬ don in 1884 by Samuel Augustus Barnett (1844-1913). It spread to the U.S. in the late 19th century with the establishment of such institutions as Chicago’s Hull House (founded by Jane Addams). Many countries now have similar institutions. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, U.S. settlement houses were active among the masses of new immigrants and worked for reform legislation such as workers’ compensation and child- labour laws.
settling In building construction, the gradual subsiding of a structure as the soil beneath its foundation consolidates under loading. This may con¬ tinue for several years after the structure’s completion. Primary consoli¬ dation occurs as water is squeezed out from the voids within the soil mass. Secondary consolidation results from adjustments in the internal structure of the soil mass under a sustained load. Whenever the possibility of settle¬ ment exists, care must be taken to choose a structural system and foun¬ dation capable of adapting. Fixed-end beams present a problem as they
are incapable of rotating under uneven settlement loads and bend in response to the stress; simply supported beams, the ends of which act as hinges, will rotate slightly and remain straight. Special columns with jacking devices may then be used to level the beams. Floating founda¬ tions and piles are often used to overcome the problems of building on yielding soils. See also soil mechanics.
Seurat \sce-*ra\, Georges (-Pierre) (b. Dec. 2, 1859, Paris, Fr.—d. March 29, 1891, Paris) French painter. He entered the Ecole des Beaux- Arts in 1878 and exhibited at the 1883 Salon, though he had already lost sympathy with its conservative policies. He studied scientific works in an effort to achieve scientifically the colour effects that the Impressionists had pursued, and developed Pointillism, the technique of juxtaposing tiny brushstrokes of contrasting colours to portray the play of light. Employ¬ ing this method, he created huge compositions, including his masterpiece, Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884—86). He and other artists working in this style became known as Neo-Impressionists. As an aesthetic theorist, he explored the effects that could be achieved with the three primary colours and their complements.
Seuss, Doctor See Theodor Geisel
Sevan \s9-‘van\, Lake Lake, northern Armenia. It has an area of some 525 sq mi (1,360 sq km). Lying at 6,250 ft (1,905 m) above sea level in a mountain-enclosed basin, it is Armenia’s largest lake and is in two con¬ nected parts: the smaller Maly Sevan and the Bolshoy Sevan. It is rich in fish. Several ancient Armenian churches lie along the shore.
Sevastopol formerly Sebastopol Vso-'vas-to-.poL Seaport city (pop., 2001: 342,000) in the Crimea, southern Ukraine. In 1783 the Russians annexed the Crimea, and, near the ancient Greek colony of Chersonesus, they began construction of a naval base on Sevastopol Bay, an inlet of the Black Sea. It became a commercial port in the early 19th century. It was besieged by Anglo-French forces for 11 months (1854-55) during the Crimean War, an ordeal chronicled by Leo Tolstoy in his Sevastopol Sketches. The devastated town was later rebuilt, and it was the anti- Bolshevik White Army headquarters in the Russian Civil War (1918-20). In World War II it was destroyed after a months-long siege by the Ger¬ mans, but again it was reconstructed. The chief base of the Russian Black Sea fleet since the early 19th century, it has extensive dockyard facilities and arsenals. The Ukrainian naval forces are also now based in Sevasto¬ pol.
Seven, Group of Toronto-centred group of Canadian painters devoted to landscape painting (especially of northern Ontario subjects) and the creation of a national style. A number of future members met in 1913 while working as commercial artists in Toronto. The group adopted its name on the occasion of a group exhibition held in 1920. The original members included J.E.H. MacDonald, Lawren S. Harris, Arthur Lismer, F.H. VaiTey, Franklin Carmichael, Frank H. Johnston, and Alexander Young Jackson. The group was particularly influential in the 1920s and ’30s. In 1933 the name was changed to the Canadian Group of Painters.
Seven Cities of Cibola See Seven Cities of Cibola
Seven Days' Battles (June 25-July 1, 1862) American Civil War battles that prevented Union capture of Richmond, Va. In a series of attacks and counterattacks by both sides, the Confederate army under Robert E. Lee forced Union troops under George B. McClellan to retreat from a position 4 mi (6 km) east of the Confederate capital to a new base on the James River. The Union failure to take Richmond and the with¬ drawal of the Army of the Potomac ended the Peninsular Campaign. Casualties were estimated at 16,000 for the Union and 20,000 for the Confederates.
Seven Oaks Massacre (1816) Destruction of a Canadian fur-trading settlement. Sixty Metis, directed by an agent of the North West Co., attempted to run provisions past the rival Hudson's Bay Co. settlement on the Red River. They were intercepted by the colony’s governor and 25 soldiers at Seven Oaks, near the settlement. An argument grew into a fight in which the Metis killed 20 men, including the governor. They then threatened the remaining settlers with massacre, forcing them to abandon the colony. The settlement was restored the next year.