A-Z

Joseph Bailey served in the Union Army throughout the American Civil War. He is most remembered for planning and supervising the construction of Bailey's Bridge during the Red River Campaign in 1864.

Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish Conquistador who traveled to the New World in 1500 and later founded the settlement of Darién. He is best known for crossing the Isthmus of Panama in 1513 and becoming the first European to see the Pacific Ocean. Governor Pedrarias Dávila later accused Balboa of treason and ordered his execution in 1517.

Abraham Baldwin was a Founding Father of the United States. He is most well-known for signing the United States Constitution and supporting smaller states during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which contributed to the Great Compromise.

Loammi Baldwin was a Massachusetts civil engineer and Continental Army officer who served in the early years of the American Revolutionary War. He was known for his service in several major battles, including the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Siege of Boston, and the Battle of Trenton. Following the war, he earned notoriety as a civil engineer.

Nisbet Balfour was a British officer who served during the American Revolutionary War. He is most famous for his role as the commandant of Charleston, South Carolina, where he gained a reputation for cruelty toward Americans.

The Bank Holiday was a national shutdown of U.S. banking operations that President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered on March 6, 1933, to stop bank runs, restore public confidence, and reopen only banks that had passed federal and state examinations under the Emergency Banking Act.

The Bank of North America, established in 1782, was the first commercial bank in the United States and served as the model for the First Bank of the United States.

The First Bank of the United States was a significant piece of Alexander Hamilton’s Financial Plan and helped stabilize the nation’s economy for 20 years.

Nathaniel Prentice Banks was one of President Abraham Lincoln's political Generals during the Civil War. He was also a ten-time member of the United States House of Representatives and served as Governor of Massachusetts.

The First Barbary War (1801-1805) was the first overseas war conducted by the United States. The nations on the Barbary Coast of Morocco involved were Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. The war ended in victory for the United States, with peace treaties between the three Barbary States and Morocco.

The Barbary Wars were conflicts between the United States and the North African Barbary States, which were known for their piracy and extortion. After gaining independence and losing British naval protection, the U.S. faced demands for tribute and attacks on its ships. Diplomatic and military efforts, including treaties and naval battles, helped end the threat of the Barbary Pirates and increased U.S. maritime strength.

John Barry was a prominent officer in the Continental Navy and the U.S. Navy. He commanded a Continental Navy vessel in the first and last naval battles of the war. Afterward, he was the first commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy and oversaw the construction of its first frigate, the United States, and commanded it during the Quasi-War. Barry led U.S. naval forces during the presidencies of George Washington and John Adams and the early years of Thomas Jefferson.

Josiah Bartlett was a New Hampshire physician, Patriot, and statesman who rose to prominence during the American Revolution. He is recognized as the first member of the Second Continental Congress to vote in favor of independence, and signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776, making him one of America’s Founding Fathers. He also signed the Articles of Confederation and served as the Governor of New Hampshire.

Clara Barton was an acclaimed humanitarian who is popularly known as the Angel of the Battlefield. She was the founder and first president of the American Red Cross, serving from 1881 to 1904.

William Barton was a soldier, politician, and hatter from Rhode Island. He is most famous for leading a daring raid that captured British General Richard Prescott in 1777. In his later years, Barton fell into financial difficulties and was given aid by the Marquis de Lafayette.

British General Charles Cornwallis signed the Articles of Capitulation, ending the Siege of Yorktown, on October 19, 1781. By signing, Cornwallis surrendered his army to American and French forces.

William Bayard, Sr. was a wealthy businessman from New York City. He participated in the Stamp Act Congress in 1765.

George Baylor was an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is most famous for leading American troops who were attacked near Old Tappan, New York, in what is called the Baylor Massacre or Old Tappan Massacre. Baylor survived the attack but suffered a bayonet wound that eventually led to his death.

The Bayonne Decree, issued by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1808, was a key policy of the Continental System. This Decree blocked American ships from accessing European ports controlled by France, increasing tensions, which eventually led to the War of 1812.

The Battle of Bean’s Station was fought on December 14, 1863, during the Knoxville Campaign. Confederate General James Longstreet attacked Union cavalry under General J.M. Shackelford and forced the Federals to retreat. The Confederate victory produced few lasting military gains and was the final major engagement of Longstreet’s Knoxville Campaign.