query: Norway has existed continuously for many years.

pos: Norway Norway ( -LSB- Norgehelp = no -RSB- ( Bokmål ) or ( Nynorsk ) ) , officially the Kingdom of Norway , is a sovereign state and unitary monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula plus the island Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard . The Antarctic Peter I Island and the sub-Antarctic Bouvet Island are dependent territories and thus not considered part of the Kingdom . Norway also lays claim to a section of Antarctica known as Queen Maud Land . Until 1814 , the kingdom included the Faroe Islands , Greenland and Iceland . It also included Bohuslän until 1658 , Jämtland and Härjedalen until 1645 , Shetland and Orkney until 1468 , and the Hebrides and Isle of Man until 1266 .   Norway has a total area of 385252 km2 and a population of 5,258,317 ( as of January 2017 ) . The country shares a long eastern border with Sweden ( 1,619 km or 1,006 mi long ) . Norway is bordered by Finland and Russia to the north-east , and the Skagerrak Strait to the south , with Denmark on the other side . Norway has an extensive coastline , facing the North Atlantic Ocean and the Barents Sea .   King Harald V of the Dano-German House of Glücksburg is the current King of Norway . Erna Solberg became Prime Minister in 2013 , replacing Jens Stoltenberg . A constitutional monarchy , Norway divides state power between the Parliament , the Cabinet and the Supreme Court , as determined by the 1814 Constitution . The kingdom is established as a merger of several petty kingdoms . By the traditional count from the year 872 , the kingdom has existed continuously for 1,144 years and the list of Norwegian monarchs includes over sixty kings and earls .   Norway has both administrative and political subdivisions on two levels : counties and municipalities . The Sámi people have a certain amount of self-determination and influence over traditional territories through the Sámi Parliament and the Finnmark Act . Norway maintains close ties with the European Union and the United States . Norway is a founding member of the United Nations , NATO , the Council of Europe , the Antarctic Treaty and the Nordic Council ; a member of the European Economic Area , the WTO and the OECD ; and is also a part of the Schengen Area .   The country maintains a combination of market economy and a Nordic welfare model with universal health care and a comprehensive social security system . Norway has extensive reserves of petroleum , natural gas , minerals , lumber , seafood , fresh water and hydropower . The petroleum industry accounts for around a quarter of the country 's gross domestic product ( GDP ) . On a per-capita basis , Norway is the world 's largest producer of oil and natural gas outside the Middle East .   The country has the fourth-highest per capita income in the world on the World Bank and IMF lists . On the CIA 's GDP ( PPP ) per capita list ( 2015 estimate ) which includes territories and some regions , Norway ranks as number eleven . From 2001 to 2006 , and then again from 2009 to 2017 , Norway had the highest Human Development Index ranking in the world . It also has the highest inequality-adjusted ranking . Norway ranks first on the World Happiness Report , the OECD Better Life Index , the Index of Public Integrity and the Democracy Index .

neg: Danish Realm The term Danish Realm ( Det Danske Rige ) refers to the relationship between Denmark proper , the Faroe Islands and Greenland -- three countries constituting the Kingdom of Denmark .   The legal nature of the Kingdom of Denmark is fundamentally one of a unitary sovereign state . The Faroe Islands and Greenland have been part of the Crown of Denmark since 1397 ( de jure ) when the Kalmar Union was ratified , and part of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1814 ( de facto ) . However , due to their separate historical and cultural identities , these parts of the Realm now have an extensive type of self-government and have assumed legislative and administrative responsibility in a substantial number of fields .   Legal matters in The Danish Realm are subject to the Danish Constitution . Beginning in 1953 , state law issues within The Danish Realm has been governed by The Unity of the Realm ( Rigsenheden ) . A less formal name for The Unity of the Realm is `` the commonwealth of the Realm '' . In 1978 , The Unity of The Realm was for the first time unofficially referred to as rigsfællesskabet . The name caught on and since the 1990s , both The Unity of The Realm and The Danish Realm itself has increasingly been referred to as simply rigsfællesskabet ( ríkisfelagsskapurin naalagaaffeqatigiit ) in daily parlance .   The Danish Constitution stipulates that the foreign and security interests for all parts of the Danish Realm are the responsibility of the Danish government . The Faroes received home rule in 1948 and Greenland did so in 1979 . In 2005 , the Faroes received a self-government arrangement , and in 2009 Greenland received `` self rule '' , thus leaving the Danish government with virtually no influence over Greenlandic internal affairs .

neg: List of twin towns and sister cities in Norway __ NOTOC __  This is a list of places in Norway having standing links to local communities in other countries . In most cases , the association , especially when formalised by local government , is known as `` town twinning '' ( though other terms , such as `` partner towns '' , `` sister cities '' , or `` friendship municipalities '' are sometimes used instead ) , and while most of the places included are towns , the list also comprises villages , cities , districts , counties , etc. with similar links .

neg: Trondheim Fjord Trondheim Fjord ( Trondheimsfjorden , -LSB- ² trɔnːhæi̯msˌfjuːɳ -RSB- ) , an inlet of the Norwegian Sea , is Norway 's third-longest fjord at 130 km long . It is located in the west-central part of the country , and it stretches from Ørland in the west to Steinkjer in the north , passing the city of Trondheim on its way . Its maximum depth is 617 m , just inside of Agdenes .   The largest islands in the fjord are Ytterøy and Tautra ; the small island of Munkholmen is located near the harbor of Trondheim ; and there are several islands at the entrance of the fjord . The narrow Skarnsundet is crossed by the Skarnsund Bridge . The part of the fjord to the north of the strait is referred to as Beitstadfjorden . The main part of Trondheim Fjord is ice-free all year ; only Verrasundet , a long and narrow fjord branch in the northern part of the fjord , might be ice covered in winter . The Beitstadfjorden might also freeze over in winter , but only for a few weeks .   The towns of Stjørdal , Levanger , and Steinkjer are found on the eastern and northeastern shore of the fjord . Aker Verdal in Verdal produces large offshore installations for the petroleum sector . A yard in Rissa completed the luxurious apartment ship MS The World . Fiborgtangen is a peninsula along the eastern shore of the fjord where a large paper mill owned by Norske Skog is located .   Trondheim Fjord has rich marine life , with both southern and northern species ; at least 90 species of fish have been observed , and the fjord has the largest biological production among Norway 's fjords . In recent years , deep water corals ( Lophelia pertusa ) were discovered in the fjord , not far from the city of Trondheim . Several of the best salmon rivers in Norway empty into Trondheim Fjord . Among these are the Gaula ( in Melhus just south of Trondheim ) , the Orklaelva ( in Orkdal ) , Stjørdalselva ( in Stjørdal ) , and the Verdalselva ( in Verdal ) .   The lowland east and south of the fjord represents one of Norway 's best agricultural areas . The more rugged and mountainous Fosen peninsula lies to the west and northwest , giving some shelter from the wind common to coastal areas .   Trondheim Fjord was an important waterway in the Viking Age , as it is still today . In 1888 , an undersea mudslide caused a tsunami that killed one person in Trondheim and ruptured three railway lines .   Four giant squid have been found in the fjord , which is among the highest concentrations in the world .

neg: Havnelageret Havnelageret ( also known as Oslo Havnelager ) is a commercial building located at Langkaia 1 in Oslo , Norway . The house acts partly as a headquarters for Dagbladet , but also houses Norwegian Defence Estates Agency as tenants . The building has an outside surface of concrete . The Norwegian Intelligence Service has its Source Archive there -- kildearkivet .   When Havnelageret was completed in 1921 , it was the largest concrete building in Europe and the largest building in the Nordic countries .   The building was erected in the period 1916-20 and designed by architect Bredo Henrik Berntsen . The building had 11 floors , a tower and an area of 39 708 m ² in its original form . The external dimensions were reduced by dividing up the facade with crane hunts , rises and towers . When it comes to style , the building can be placed into the group of Nordic Neo-Baroque with classical elements and details of Art Nouveau feel . In 1965 the building was awarded the Betongtavlen ( an annual Norwegian prize for outstanding building architecture in concrete ) . Oslo Havnelager ( Oslo Harbour Warehouse ) is a monument dedicated to the huge development of ship transport during and after the First World War . The construction of the building was challenging and extremely difficult with contemporary technology , and with rising prices and wages during the First World War , all calculations were surpassed . From the original amount of 3.2 million Norwegian kroner , the final cost ended up at 9.3 million kroner .   The construction of Havnelageret was very complicated because the building had to be built on bedrock as a result of its large size . This bedrock lay 20 meters below ground level . The difficult base conditions delayed the construction process , but in 1920 , Havnelageret was finally based on the 130 pillars , which laid on 1550 piles in total . When finished , the building was so substantial that the 4th floor of Havnelageret was used as an air-raid shelter during the Second World War .   It took only 60 years before Havnelageret was considered old . In the recent decades the harbour activity has decreased steadily . As a result , there has also been less demand for storage space , and current needs are mostly met outside the quay area itself . After a total renovation in 1983 ( carried out by the firm Arkitektene as ) , the `` Jacob 's dream '' re-emerged ; a pink-coloured office building filled by financiers , ship companies and oil companies . Because of its unusual color , the building is often called `` The pink palace in Bjørvika '' . In late 2003 , Entra Eiendom bought Langkaia 1 from Steen & Strøm ASA and had it thoroughly renovated in the following years .

neg: Northern North Sea basin The North Sea is part of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Europe . It is located between Norway and Denmark in the east , Scotland and England in the west , Germany , the Netherlands , Belgium and France in the south .   The geology of the North Sea describes the geological features such as channels , trenches , and ridges today and the geological history , plate tectonics , geological events that created them .   A geological basin is a large low-lying area or depression . It is often below sea level . Depressions are typically formed by tectonic processes acting on the lithosphere , providing `` accommodation space '' for sediment to be preserved . Basins are formed in a variety of tectonic settings : extensional , compressional , strike-slip and intraplate .   Geological basins are one of the most common places which collect sediment . The type of rocks which form there tell about the palaeoclimate of the continent . The geology is of interest to oil prospectors , hydrologists and palaeontologists . Exploration in the North Sea was initiated in May 1964 when the first well was spudded and the area has now become one of the most prolific hydrocarbon provinces in the world . Total recoverable reserves found to date , including adjacent land areas , amount to over 100 billion barrels of oil and natural gas .   Geologically speaking , the North Sea is divided into four main basins : Northern , Moray Firth , Central , and Southern . Each has a long and complex geologic history with unique structural and stratigraphic developments driven by tectonic events over the last 400 Million years . The northern North Sea Paleorift system , including the Viking and Sogn graben , is an approximately 150-200 km wide zone of extended upper crust with preserved strata from pre-Triassic to Tertiary . It is bounded by the Shetland Platform to the west and the Norwegian mainland to the east .

neg: Nynorsk Nynorsk , literally New Norwegian or New Norse , is one of the two written standards of the Norwegian language , the other being Bokmål . From 1885 , when the parliament declared them official and equal , until new voting in 1929 , their names were Landsmål and Riksmål . The Landsmål language standard was constructed by the Norwegian linguist Ivar Aasen during the mid-19th century , to provide a Norwegian-based alternative to Danish , which was commonly written , and to some extent spoken , in Norway at the time . The official standard of Nynorsk has since been significantly altered . A minor purist fraction of the Nynorsk populace has stayed firm with the Aasen norm , which is known as Høgnorsk ( High Norwegian , analogous to High German ) .   In local communities , one-fourth of Norwegian municipalities have declared Nynorsk as their official language form , and these municipalities account for about 12 % of the Norwegian populace . Of the remaining municipalities , half are neutral and half have adopted Bokmål as their official language form . Four of Norway 's nineteen counties , Rogaland , Hordaland , Sogn og Fjordane and Møre og Romsdal , have Nynorsk as their official language form . These four together comprise the region of Western Norway .

neg: Fredrikstad Fredrikstad ( ; previously Frederiksstad ; literally Fredrik 's Town ) is a city and municipality in Østfold county , Norway . The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Fredrikstad .   The city of Fredrikstad was founded in 1567 by King Frederick II , and established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 ( see formannskapsdistrikt ) . The rural municipality of Glemmen was merged with Fredrikstad on 1 January 1964 . The rural municipalities of Borge , Onsøy , Kråkerøy , and Rolvsøy were merged with Fredrikstad on 1 January 1994 .   The city straddles the river Glomma where it meets the Skagerrak . Along with neighboring Sarpsborg , Fredrikstad forms the fifth largest city in Norway : Fredrikstad/Sarpsborg . As of 1 January 2013 , according to Statistics Norway , these two municipalities have a total population of 128,916 with 75,583 in Fredrikstad and 53,333 in Sarpsborg .   Fredrikstad was built at the mouth of Glomma as a replacement after Sarpsborg ( 15 km upstream ) was burned down by the Swedes . Almost half the population of Sarpsborg stayed behind , and rebuilt their old town at its original site .   The city centre is on the west bank of the Glomma , while the old town on the east bank is Northern Europe 's best preserved fortified town .   Fredrikstad used to have a large sawmill industry and was an important harbour for timber export , then later on shipbuilding , until the main yard was closed in the 1980s . The main industries are currently various chemical plants and other light industry .   In 2005 , Fredrikstad was the final host port for the Tall Ships ' Race , attracting thousands to the city .

neg: List of people on the postage stamps of Norway Norway has issued stamps since 1855 , and the first person to appear on a Norwegian stamp was the joint Norwegian-Swedish king Oscar II in 1878 . The first non-royal person to appear on a Norwegian stamp was the playwright Henrik Ibsen , to commemorate the centenary of his birth in 1928 followed by the mathematician Niels Henrik Abel later the same year .   Queen Maud was the first woman to appear on a Norwegian stamp , in 1939 , followed by her daughter-in-law Märtha in 1956 . The first non-royal woman was author Camilla Collett in 1963 .   To the matter of `` who 's first '' , several non-royal persons appeared on a 1914 stamp commemorating the centenary of the Constitution of Norway , as the stamp depicted the renowned painting of the 1814 assembly . This list does however only include persons depicted as themselves per se , and does not include stamps where persons appear as a representative of their profession , such as post officers , brass band members etc. . The list also excludes persons that are represented on paintings .

neg: Norwegian Financial Services Association The Norwegian Financial Services Association ( Finansnæringens Hovedorganisasjon ) is an employers ' organisation in Norway .   It was established in 2000 as a merger between the Norwegian Bankers ' Association and the Association of Norwegian Insurance Companies .  In 2010 it founded the cooperation organization Finance Norway together with the Norwegian Savings Banks Association . Both organizations still exist , but not their respective `` service offices '' , whose tasks were taken over by Finance Norway . The headquarters are in Oslo .   The board currently consists of Rune Bjerke ( leader ) , Helge Leiro Baastad ( deputy chair ) , Kirsten Idebøen , Idar Kreutzer , Kjerstin Fyllingen , Line M. Hestvik , Stein Ole Larsen , Sverre Thornes , Gunn Wærsted , Dag Tjernsmo and Trond F. Mellingsæter .

neg: Pomor trade Pomor trade ( from -LSB- помо́рье , r = pomorje , p =p ɐˈmorʲjɪ -RSB- po `` by '' and more `` ocean '' ; `` area by the ocean '' , the same word is the basis for Pomerania ) , is the trade carried out between the Pomors of Northwest Russia and the people along the coast of Northern Norway , as far south as Bodø . The trade went on from 1740 until the Russian revolution in 1917 .   The pomor trade began as a barter trade between people in the area , trading grain products from Russia with fish from North Norway as the main trade . With time it developed into a regular trade against money : in fact the ruble was used as currency in several places in North Norway . The pomor trade was of major importance both to Russians and Norwegians . The trade was carried out by Russian pomors from the White Sea area and the Kola peninsula who came sailing to settlements and places of trade along the coast of North Norway . The pomors were skilled traders and sailors , and they did also explore the areas around the White sea . In addition to their trade westwards , they established a trade route east across the Ural mountains to North Siberia .

neg: Norway–Sweden relations Norway -- Sweden relations are foreign relations between Norway and Sweden . The countries have a very long history together . They were both part of the Kalmar Union between 1397 and 1523 . The countries established diplomatic relations in 1905 , after the dissolution of the union between them in 1905 .   Sweden has an embassy in Oslo and 14 consulates , in Ålesund , Arendal , Bergen , Bodø , Hamar , Hammerfest , Kirkenes , Mandal , Moss , Narvik , Porsgrunn , Stavanger , Tromsø and Trondheim . Norway has an embassy in Stockholm and three consulates , in Gothenburg , Malmö and Sundsvall .   Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe and the Nordic Council . There are around 44,773 Swedes living in Norway and around 18,000 Norwegians living in Sweden .

neg: History of the Jews in Norway The Jews in Norway are one of the country 's smallest ethnic and religious minorities . The largest synagogue is in Oslo . A smaller synagogue in Trondheim ( 63 ° 25 ' N ) is the world 's second northernmost synagogue .

neg: Nordmøre Nordmøre ( English : North-Møre ) is a traditional district in the Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal . The 6059 km2 area comprises the northern third of the county including the municipalities of Kristiansund , Averøy , Tingvoll , Surnadal , Rindal , Aure , Halsa , Eide , Sunndal , Gjemnes , and Smøla . The only city in Nordmøre is Kristiansund .   Of these eleven municipalities , three are located ( mainly ) on islands : Kristiansund , Averøy , and Smøla ; seven lie on the coast ( including between , adjacent to , or at the end of , fjords ) : Tingvoll , Surnadal , Aure , Halsa , Eide , Sunndal , and Gjemnes ; while only one is landlocked : Rindal .   In the early Viking Age , before Harald Fairhair , Nordmøre was a petty kingdom whose ruler was known as the Mørejarl ( literally : `` Møre-Earl '' ) . Then , Nordmøre also included the municipalities north and west of Orkdal municipality , Sør-Trøndelag .

neg: St. Olav's Medal The St. Olav 's Medal and the St. Olav 's Medal With Oak Branch were instituted by King Haakon VII of Norway on 17 March 1939 . They are awarded in recognition of `` outstanding services rendered in connection with the spreading of information about Norway abroad and for strengthening the bonds between expatriate Norwegians and their home country '' .   The medals are in silver , surmounted by the Royal Crown . On the obverse is the portrait of the reigning King with his name and motto . On the reverse , St. Olav 's cross . Above the medal is the monogram of the reigning King . It is worn on the left side of the breast with the ribbon of the Order of St. Olav . The medal ranks 9th in the order of precedence of Norwegian medals .   When awarded for services rendered in wartime , the medal carries an oak branch and ranks 6th in the order of precedence of Norwegian medals .

neg: Komsa culture The Komsa culture ( Komsakulturen ) was a Mesolithic culture of hunter-gatherers that existed from around 10,000 BC in Northern Norway .   The culture is named after the Komsa Mountain in the community of Alta , Finnmark , where the remains of the culture were first discovered . The term was first used by Norwegian archaeologist Anders Nummedal ( 1867-1944 ) after the discoveries he made on Komsa Mountain during 1925 . The distinction between a `` Komsa '' type of stone-tool culture north of the Arctic Circle and a `` Fosna '' type from Trøndelag to Oslo Fjord was rendered obsolete in the 1970s . Nowadays both phenomena are ascribed to different types of tools of the same culture .   Recent archeological finds from Finnish Lapland were originally thought to represent an inland aspect of the Komsa culture equally old as the earliest finds from the Norwegian coast . However , this material is now considered to be affiliated with the contemporary Post-Swiderian culture of North Central Russia and the eastern Baltic and thus represents a separate early incursion into northernmost Scandinavia   The commonly held view today is that the earliest settlement of the North Norwegian coast originated on the western and southwestern coast of Norway and ultimately in the final Palaeolithic Ahrensburg culture of northwestern Europe . The Komsa are thought to have followed the Norwegian coastline when receding glaciation at the end of the last ice age ( between 11,000 and 8000 BC ) opened up new areas for settlement . It was formerly believed that some elements may have moved into modern-day Finnmark from the northeast , possibly coming from ice-free coasts of the Kola Peninsula . However , recent research indicates that a number of the coastal sites in the Varangerfjord area previously attributed to the second phase of the `` Komsa '' continuum actually represent an early incursion from the southeast ( northwestern Russia ) and are related to the early Post-Swiderian influx discovered in northernmost Finnish Lapland .   Archaeological evidence indicates that the Komsa culture was almost exclusively sea-oriented , living mainly off seal hunting and being able boatbuilders and fishermen . In comparison to the southern Norway 's contemporary Fosna variety of this same culture , stone tools and other implements appear relatively crude . This has been explained with a paucity of flintstone in the region .

neg: Norwegian Church Abroad The Norwegian Church Abroad or The Norwegian Seamen 's Church ( Sjømannskirken ) is a religious organisation serving Norwegians and other Scandinavians travelling abroad . Founded in 1864 , The Norwegian Seamen 's Mission -- Sjømannsmisjonen -- was established to secure the moral and religious education of Scandinavian seafarers , but also to give them a `` breathing room '' where a fellow countryman was available to lend an ear and give some attention . Today , the churches and their staff together with travelling pastors around the globe represent a `` resource center '' for all Norwegians travelling internationally .   Sjømannskirken annually serves around 700 thousand Norwegians through over 30 churches and 16 mobile services in 30 countries around the world . Several churches operate on a Scandinavian basis . The Norwegian Church Abroad , its main office in Bergen , is a charitable organization supported by the Church of Norway and the Norwegian Government . Sjømannskirken is also a member of the ICMA and the Council of Nordic Seamen 's Missions .   For most Norwegians travelling abroad , Sjømannskirken is a nice place to rest : one can read newspapers from home , buy Norwegian food and speak to other Norwegians . Many Norwegians living permanently abroad use the seamen 's churches instead of the local ones .

neg: Architecture of Finland The architecture of Finland has a history spanning over 800 years , and while up until the modern era the architecture was strongly influenced by currents from Finland 's two respective neighbouring ruling nations , Sweden and Russia , from the early 19th century onwards influences came directly from further afield ; first when itinerant foreign architects took up positions in the country and then when the Finnish architect profession became established . Also , Finnish architecture in turn has contributed significantly to several styles internationally , such as Jugendstil ( or Art Nouveau ) , Nordic Classicism and Functionalism . In particular , the works of the country 's most noted early modernist architect Eliel Saarinen have had significant worldwide influence . But even more renowned than Saarinen has been modernist architect Alvar Aalto , who is regarded as one of the major figures in the world history of modern architecture . In an article from 1922 titled `` Motifs from past ages '' , Aalto discussed national and international influences in Finland , and as he saw it ;   In a 2000 review article of twentieth century Finnish architecture , Frédéric Edelmann , arts critic of the French newspaper Le Monde , suggested that Finland has more great architects of the status of Alvar Aalto in proportion to the population than any other country in the world . Finland 's most significant architectural achievements are related to modern architecture , mostly because the current building stock has less than 20 % that dates back to before 1955 , which relates significantly to the reconstruction following World War II and the process of urbanisation which only gathered pace after the war .   1249 is the date normally given for the beginning of Swedish rule over the land now known as Finland ( in Finnish , Suomi ) , and this rule continued until 1809 , after which it was ceded to Russia . However , under Russian rule it had a significant degree of autonomy as the Grand Duchy of Finland . Finland declared independence from Russia in 1917 , at the time of the Russian Revolution . These historical factors have had a significant bearing on the history of architecture in Finland , along with the founding of towns and the building of castles and fortresses ( in the numerous wars between Sweden and Russia fought in Finland ) , as well as the availability of building materials and craftsmanship and , later on , government policy on issues such as housing and public buildings . As an essentially forested region , timber has been the natural building material , while the hardness of the local stone ( predominantly granite ) initially made it difficult to work , and the manufacture of brick was rare before the mid-19th century . The use of concrete took on a particular prominence with the rise of the welfare state in the 1960s , in particular in state-sanctioned housing with the dominance of prefabricated concrete elements .

neg: Belgium Belgium ( -LSB- ˈbɛldʒəm -RSB- België -LSB- ˈbɛlɣijə -RSB- ; Belgique -LSB- bɛlʒik -RSB- ; Belgien -LSB- ˈbɛlɡi̯ən -RSB- ) , officially the Kingdom of Belgium , is a sovereign state in Western Europe bordered by France , the Netherlands , Germany , Luxembourg , and the North Sea . It is a small , densely populated country which covers an area of 30528 km2 and has a population of about 11 million people . Straddling the cultural boundary between Germanic and Latin Europe , Belgium is home to two main linguistic groups : the Dutch-speaking , mostly Flemish community , which constitutes about 59 % of the population , and the French-speaking , mostly Walloon population , which comprises 41 % of all Belgians . Additionally , there is a small group of German-speakers who live in the East Cantons located around the High Fens area , and bordering Germany .   Historically , Belgium , the Netherlands and Luxembourg ( along with parts of Northern France and Western Germany ) were known as the Low Countries ; it once covered a somewhat larger area than the current Benelux group of states . The region was called Belgica in Latin , after the Roman province of Gallia Belgica . From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century , the area of Belgium was a prosperous and cosmopolitan centre of commerce and culture . From the 16th century until the Belgian Revolution in 1830 , when Belgium seceded from the Netherlands , the area of Belgium served as the battleground between many European powers , causing it to be dubbed the `` Battlefield of Europe , ''  a reputation strengthened by both world wars .   Today , Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance . It is divided into three regions and three communities , that exist next to each other . Its two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia . The Brussels-Capital Region is an officially bilingual ( French and Dutch ) enclave within the Flemish Region .  A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia .  Belgium 's linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance , made up of six different governments .   Belgium participated in the Industrial Revolution  and , during the course of the 20th century , possessed a number of colonies in Africa . The second half of the 20th century was marked by rising tensions between the Dutch-speaking and the French-speaking citizens fueled by differences in language and culture and the unequal economic development of Flanders and Wallonia . This continuing antagonism has led to several far-reaching reforms , resulting in a transition from a unitary to a federal arrangement during the period from 1970 to 1993 . Despite the reforms , tensions between the groups have remained , if not increased ; there is significant separatism particularly among the Flemish ; controversial language laws exist such as the municipalities with language facilities ; and the formation of a coalition government took 18 months following the June 2010 federal election , a world record . Belgium is one of the six founding countries of the European Union and hosts the official seats of the European Commission , Council of the European Union , and European Council , as well as a seat of the European Parliament in the country 's capital , Brussels . Belgium is also a founding member of the Eurozone , NATO , OECD and WTO , and a part of the trilateral Benelux Union . Its capital , Brussels , hosts several of the EU 's official seats as well as the headquarters of many major international organizations such as NATO.Belgium is a member of , or affiliated to , many international organizations , including ACCT , AfDB , AsDB , Australia Group , Benelux , BIS , CCC , CE , CERN , EAPC , EBRD , EIB , EMU , ESA , EU , FAO , G-10 , IAEA , IBRD , ICAO , ICC , ICRM , IDA , IDB , IEA , IFAD , IFC , IFRCS , IHO , ILO , IMF , IMO , IMSO , Intelsat , Interpol , IOC , IOM , ISO , ITU , MONUC ( observers ) , NATO , NEA , NSG , OAS ( observer ) , OECD , OPCW , OSCE , PCA , UN , UNCTAD , UNECE , UNESCO , UNHCR , UNIDO , UNMIK , UNMOGIP , UNRWA , UNTSO , UPU , WADB ( non-regional ) , WEU , WHO , WIPO , WMO , WTrO , ZC . Belgium is also a part of the Schengen Area . Belgium is a developed country , with an advanced high-income economy and is categorized as `` very high '' in the Human Development Index .

neg: List of Norwegians This is a list of notable people from Norway .

neg: Øvrebø Øvrebø is a rural district and village in Vennesla municipality in Vest-Agder county , Norway . The village is located about 25 km north-northwest of the city of Kristiansand . The village of Skarpengland lies about 3 km east of Øvrebø .   The district of Øvrebø covers the central part of Vennesla municipality . Historically , the district of Øvrebø was a separate municipality known as Øvrebø which existed from 1838 until 1865 , and then again from 1896 until 1964 . In Skarpengland , there is a bank , a post office , several stores , a motor repair shop , and a school . Øvrebø is known for the '' Øvrebø ski '' , found at Mushom and considered for many years to be Norway 's oldest preserved ski . It can be seen in the Holmenkollen Ski Museum in Oslo .


query: Abraham Lincoln was a Republican candidate for the United States Senate in 1858.

pos: Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( -LSB- ˈeɪbrəhæm_ˈlIŋkən -RSB- February 12 , 1809 -- April 15 , 1865 ) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865 . Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War -- its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral , constitutional , and political crisis . In doing so , he preserved the Union , paved the way to the abolition of slavery , strengthened the federal government , and modernized the economy .   Born in Hodgenville , Kentucky , Lincoln grew up on the western frontier in Kentucky and Indiana . Largely self-educated , he became a lawyer in Illinois , a Whig Party leader , and was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives , in which he served for eight years . Elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1846 , Lincoln promoted rapid modernization of the economy through banks , tariffs , and railroads . Because he had originally agreed not to run for a second term in Congress , and because his opposition to the Mexican -- American War was unpopular among Illinois voters , Lincoln returned to Springfield and resumed his successful law practice . Reentering politics in 1854 , he became a leader in building the new Republican Party , which had a statewide majority in Illinois . In 1858 , while taking part in a series of highly publicized debates with his opponent and rival , Democrat Stephen A. Douglas , Lincoln spoke out against the expansion of slavery , but lost the U.S. Senate race to Douglas .   In 1860 , Lincoln secured the Republican Party presidential nomination as a moderate from a swing state . Though he gained very little support in the slaveholding states of the South , he swept the North and was elected president in 1860 . Lincoln 's victory prompted seven southern slave states to form the Confederate States of America before he moved into the White House -- no compromise or reconciliation was found regarding slavery and secession . Subsequently , on April 12 , 1861 , a Confederate attack on Fort Sumter inspired the North to enthusiastically rally behind the Union . As the leader of the moderate faction of the Republican Party , Lincoln confronted Radical Republicans , who demanded harsher treatment of the South , War Democrats , who called for more compromise , anti-war Democrats ( called Copperheads ) , who despised him , and irreconcilable secessionists , who plotted his assassination . Politically , Lincoln fought back by pitting his opponents against each other , by carefully planned political patronage , and by appealing to the American people with his powers of oratory . His Gettysburg Address became an iconic endorsement of the principles of nationalism , republicanism , equal rights , liberty , and democracy .   Lincoln initially concentrated on the military and political dimensions of the war . His primary goal was to reunite the nation . He suspended habeas corpus , leading to the controversial ex parte Merryman decision , and he averted potential British intervention in the war by defusing the Trent Affair in late 1861 . Lincoln closely supervised the war effort , especially the selection of top generals , including his most successful general , Ulysses S. Grant . He also made major decisions on Union war strategy , including a naval blockade that shut down the South 's normal trade , moves to take control of Kentucky and Tennessee , and using gunboats to gain control of the southern river system . Lincoln tried repeatedly to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond ; each time a general failed , Lincoln substituted another , until finally Grant succeeded . As the war progressed , his complex moves toward ending slavery included the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 ; Lincoln used the U.S. Army to protect escaped slaves , encouraged the border states to outlaw slavery , and pushed through Congress the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution , which permanently outlawed slavery .   An exceptionally astute politician deeply involved with power issues in each state , Lincoln reached out to the War Democrats and managed his own re-election campaign in the 1864 presidential election . Anticipating the war 's conclusion , Lincoln pushed a moderate view of Reconstruction , seeking to reunite the nation speedily through a policy of generous reconciliation in the face of lingering and bitter divisiveness . On April 14 , 1865 , five days after the surrender of Confederate commanding general Robert E. Lee , Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth , a Confederate sympathizer .   Lincoln has been consistently ranked both by scholars and the public as among the greatest U.S. presidents .

neg: New York Republican State Committee The New York Republican State Committee established 1855 , is an affiliate of the United States Republican Party ( GOP ) . Its headquarters are in Albany , New York .   The purpose of the committee is to nominate Republican candidates for election to New York state and federal political roles . It also formulates Republican Party policy on New York State issues and assists its nominees in their election campaigns .

neg: 1860 Republican National Convention The 1860 Republican National Convention , also known as the 2nd Republican National Convention , was a nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States , held in Chicago , Illinois , from May 16 to 18 , 1860 . The gathering nominated former U.S. Representative Abraham Lincoln of Illinois for President of the United States and Senator Hannibal Hamlin of Maine for Vice President .   Lincoln 's nomination was a surprise , as the favorite before the convention had been former Governor of New York and U.S. Senator William H. Seward . Lincoln 's campaign manager , David Davis , is credited for Lincoln 's victory over Thurlow Weed , Seward 's campaign manager .   Lincoln-Hamlin went on to defeat three other major tickets that year , including Democratic nominee Stephen A. Douglas , U.S. Senator from Illinois .

neg: 1952 Republican National Convention The 1952 Republican National Convention was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago , Cook County , Illinois from July 7 to July 11 , 1952 , and nominated the popular general and war hero Dwight D. Eisenhower of Kansas , nicknamed `` Ike , '' for president and the anti-communist crusading Senator from California , Richard M. Nixon , for vice president .   The Republican platform pledged to end the unpopular war in Korea , supported the development of nuclear weapons as a deterrence strategy , to fire all `` the loafers , incompetents and unnecessary employees '' at the State Department , condemned the Roosevelt and Truman administrations ' economic policies , supported retention of the Taft-Hartley Act , opposed `` discrimination against race , religion or national origin '' , supported `` Federal action toward the elimination of lynching '' , and pledged to bring an end to communist subversion in the United States .

neg: Edward Everett Edward Everett ( April 11 , 1794 -- January 15 , 1865 ) was an American politician , pastor , educator , diplomat , and orator from Massachusetts . Everett , a Whig , served as U.S. Representative , U.S. Senator , the 15th Governor of Massachusetts , Minister to Great Britain , and United States Secretary of State . He also taught at Harvard University and served as its president .   Everett was one of the great American orators of the antebellum and Civil War eras . He is often remembered today as the featured orator at the dedication ceremony of the Gettysburg National Cemetery in 1863 , where he spoke for over two hoursimmediately before President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous , two-minute Gettysburg Address .   The son of a pastor , Everett was educated at Harvard , and briefly ministered at Boston 's Brattle Street Church before taking a teaching job at Harvard . The position included preparatory studies in Europe , so Everett spent two years in studies at the University of Göttingen , and another two years traveling around Europe . At Harvard he taught ancient Greek literature for several years before becoming involved in politics , and began an extensive and popular speaking career . He served ten years in the United States Congress before winning election as Governor of Massachusetts in 1835 . As governor he introduced the state Board of Education , the first of its type in the nation .   After being defeated in the 1839 election by one vote , Everett was appointed Minister to Great Britain , serving until 1845 . He next became President of Harvard , a job he quickly came to dislike . In 1849 he became an assistant to longtime friend and colleague Daniel Webster , who had been appointed Secretary of State . Upon Webster 's death Everett served as Secretary of State for a few months until he was sworn in as U.S. Senator from Massachusetts . In the later years of his life Everett traveled , giving speeches all over the country . He supported efforts to maintain the Union before the Civil War , running for Vice President on the Constitutional Union Party ticket in 1860 . He was active in supporting the Union effort during the war and supported Lincoln in the 1864 election .

neg: William L. Dayton William Lewis Dayton ( February 17 , 1807December 1 , 1864 ) was an American politician , active first in the Whig Party and later in the Republican Party . In the 1856 presidential election , he became the first Republican vice-presidential nominee when nominated alongside John C. Frémont . The Republican Party lost that campaign . During the American Civil War , Dayton served as the United States Ambassador to France , a position in which he worked to prevent French recognition of the Confederacy .

neg: United States elections, 1844 The 1844 United States elections elected the members of the 29th United States Congress , and took place during the Second Party System in the midst of the debate over whether to annex Texas . Texas and Iowa joined the union during the 29th Congress . Democrats retained control of the House and took back control of the Presidency and the Senate , re-establishing the dominant position the party had lost in the 1840 election .   In the Presidential election , Democratic former Speaker of the House James K. Polk defeated Whig former Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky . Though Polk won the popular vote by a little over one percent , he won by a comfortable margin in the electoral college . James G. Birney of the nascent Liberty Party took two percent of the popular vote , and may have swung the election by taking votes from Clay in New York . The little-known Polk defeated several rivals to win his party 's nomination , emerging as the first dark horse nominee in U.S. presidential history . Incumbent President John Tyler , who had been expelled from the Whig party early in his presidency , was briefly the candidate of the newly formed Democratic-Republican Party , but dropped out of the race after Polk announced his support for ratification of Tyler 's Texas annexation treaty .   In the House , Whigs picked up a small number of seats , but Democrats retained a commanding majority .   In the Senate , Democrats picked up several seats , re-taking the majority .

neg: William Smith (South Carolina senator) William Smith ( 1762June 26 , 1840 ) was chosen as a Democratic-Republican to the U.S. Senate representing South Carolina in 1816 . The legislature declined to re-elect him when his term expired in 1823 . He was narrowly chosen senator in 1826 and was again replaced in 1831 .   Smith was one of the first Southerners to argue , at the time of the Missouri Compromise in 1820 , that slavery was a positive good ; nevertheless , he opposed John C. Calhoun 's doctrine and tactic of nullification . In 1828 , seven electors from Georgia chose him for vice president , instead of Calhoun , the Democratic nominee . He was also a splinter candidate for vice president in 1836 : Virginia refused to accept Richard Mentor Johnson as the Democratic vice presidential candidate , and voted for the ticket of Martin Van Buren and William Smith , putting Johnson two electoral votes short of a majority ; the Senate chose Johnson .   In 1832 , he moved to Louisiana , having lost his political base in South Carolina . In 1836 , he moved on to Huntsville , Alabama , and was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives for Madison County from August 1 , 1836 , holding that seat for the rest of his life .   On March 3 , 1837 , outgoing President Andrew Jackson nominated Smith to the Supreme Court . The Senate confirmed Smith 's nomination by a vote of 23 -- 18 ; nevertheless , Smith declined to serve .

neg: Robert A. Taft Robert Alphonso Taft ( September 8 , 1889 -- July 31 , 1953 ) was a conservative American politician , statesman , and presidential hopeful who served as a United States Senator from Ohio from 1939 until his death in 1953 . A member of the Republican Taft political family , he was the elder son of William Howard Taft ( the 27th President of the United States and 10th Chief Justice of the United States ) .   Taft was the Senate 's main opponent of Franklin Roosevelt 's New Deal domestic policies .   After the president 's death , Taft successfully led the conservative coalition 's efforts to curb the power of labor unions . Taft was a leading advocate of non-interventionism in foreign policy . He failed in his quests to win the Republican Party 's presidential nomination in 1940 , 1948 , and 1952 . Throughout that period he battled New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey ( leader of the moderate `` Eastern Establishment '' ) for control of the party . Taft 's biographer , James T. Patterson , portrayed Taft as honest , conscientious , courageous , dignified , and highly intelligent but also faulted Taft 's competitiveness , lack of public-relations skills , and extreme partisanship . A 1957 Senate committee named Taft as one of America 's five greatest senators , along with Henry Clay , Daniel Webster , John C. Calhoun , and Robert M. La Follette , Sr. .

neg: United States presidential election in Pennsylvania, 1864 The 1864 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania took place on November 8 , 1864 , as part of the 1864 United States presidential election . Voters chose 26 representatives , or electors to the Electoral College , who voted for President and Vice President .   Pennsylvania voted for the National Union candidate , Abraham Lincoln , over the Democratic candidate , George B. McClellan . Lincoln won Pennsylvania by a margin of 3.5 % .

neg: Kentucky in the American Civil War Kentucky was a border state of key importance in the American Civil War . President Abraham Lincoln recognized the importance of the Commonwealth when , in a September 1861 letter to Orville Browning , he wrote :  I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game . Kentucky gone , we can not hold Missouri , nor Maryland . These all against us , and the job on our hands is too large for us . We would as well consent to separation at once , including the surrender of this capitol .   Kentucky , being a border state , was among the chief places where the `` Brother against brother '' scenario was prevalent . Kentucky officially declared its neutrality at the beginning of the war , but after a failed attempt by Confederate General Leonidas Polk to take the state of Kentucky for the Confederacy , the legislature petitioned the Union Army for assistance . After early 1862 Kentucky came largely under Union control .   Kentucky was the site of several fierce battles , including Mill Springs and Perryville . It was host to such military leaders as Ulysses S. Grant on the Union side , who first encountered serious Confederate gunfire coming from Columbus , Kentucky , and Confederate cavalry leader Nathan Bedford Forrest . Forrest proved to be a scourge to the Union Army in western Kentucky , even making an attack on Paducah . Kentuckian John Hunt Morgan further challenged Union control , as he conducted numerous cavalry raids through the state .   Kentucky was the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln , his wife Mary Todd , and his southern counterpart , Confederate President Jefferson Davis .   In the historiography of the Civil War , Kentucky is treated primarily as a border state , with special attention to the social divisions during the secession crisis , invasions and raids , internal violence , sporadic guerrilla warfare , federal-state relations , the ending of slavery , and the return of Confederate veterans .

neg: United States Senate elections, 1894 and 1895 The United States Senate elections of 1894 and 1895 were a slight Republican victory . It was a different story in the House where Democrats suffered massive losses . The senators elected went on to serve in the 54th Congress .   As these elections were prior to the ratification of the seventeenth amendment , senators were chosen by state legislatures .

neg: Robert Smith (Illinois politician) Robert Smith ( June 12 , 1802 -- December 21 , 1867 ) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois , nephew of Jeremiah Smith and Samuel Smith of New Hampshire . Smith founded General Mills in 1856 .   Born in Peterborough , New Hampshire , Smith attended the public schools and New Ipswich Academy . He taught school . He engaged in mercantile pursuits in 1822 and in the manufacturing of textile goods in Northfield , New Hampshire in 1823 . He studied law . He was admitted to the bar and practiced . He moved to Illinois and settled in Alton in 1832 and again engaged in mercantile pursuits .   Smith was elected captain in the state militia in 1832 . He was an extensive land owner , and engaged in the real estate business . He served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1836-1840 . He was elected enrolling and engrossing clerk of the Illinois House of Representatives in 1840 and 1842 .   Smith was elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth Congresses and reelected as an Independent Democrat to the Thirtieth Congress ( March 4 , 1843 -- March 3 , 1849 ) . He served as chairman of the Committee on Roads and Canals ( Twenty-ninth Congress ) .   Smith was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-fifth Congress ( March 4 , 1857 -- March 3 , 1859 ) . He served as chairman of the Committee on Mileage ( Thirty-fifth Congress ) . He served as paymaster during the Civil War . He died in Alton , and was interred in Alton City Cemetery .   Smith attended an event in Greenville , Illinois in 1858 in which Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas gave speeches around the time of the Lincoln-Douglas debates .

neg: David Henry Mercer David Henry Mercer ( July 9 , 1857 -- January 10 , 1919 ) was a Nebraska Republican politician .  Born in Benton County , Iowa on July 9 , 1857 , he moved with his parents to Adams County , Illinois in 1858 . After the American Civil War he moved again to Brownville , Nebraska . He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1880 and the law department of University of Michigan in Ann Arbor , Michigan in 1882 . He was admitted to the bar and set up practice back in Brownville serving one term as city clerk and police judge .   He moved to Omaha , Nebraska in 1885 and was for several years was chairman of the Republican city and county committees . He was the secretary of the Republican State central committee in 1896 , and elected secretary of the Republican National Congressional Committee in the same year . In 1897 he was chairman of the Republican State Central committee of Nebraska in 1897 and 1898 .   He was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-third United States Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses serving from March 4 , 1893 to March 3 , 1903 . During his time as representatives he was chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds during the Fifty-fifth , Fifty-sixth , and Fifty-seventh Congresses . He unsuccessfully ran for reelection in 1902 . Afterwards he settled in Washington , D.C. resuming his practice of law . He died in Omaha on January 10 , 1919 and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery , in Omaha .

neg: John T. Stuart John Todd Stuart ( November 10 , 1807 -- November 23 , 1885 ) was a lawyer and a U.S. Representative from Illinois .   Born near Lexington , Kentucky , Stuart graduated from Centre College , Danville , Kentucky , in 1826 . He then studied law , was admitted to the bar in 1828 , and commenced practice in Springfield , Illinois . He was a major in the Black Hawk War in 1832 , where he first met Abraham Lincoln , who was in the same battalion as Stuart .   He served as member of the Illinois House of Representatives between 1832 and 1836 . Stuart encouraged Lincoln to study law and the two subsequently became law partners , between 1837 and 1841 . If not for Stuart 's influence , it is conceivable that Lincoln might never have been interested in the law - and thus , might not ever have become president .   Stuart was an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1836 to the Twenty-fifth Congress . He was , however , elected as a Whig to the Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh Congresses ( March 4 , 1839 - March 3 , 1843 ) , winning over Stephen A. Douglas in 1838 . He was not a candidate for renomination in 1842 .   Stuart established a law partnership with Benjamin S. Edwards in 1843 , a partnership that would last for forty years . Stuart served as member of the Illinois Senate between 1848 and 1852 . He was the unsuccessful Constitutional Union candidate for Governor of Illinois in 1860 .   Stuart was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-eighth Congress ( March 4 , 1863 - March 3 , 1865 ) , and served there while Lincoln was president .   Stuart was a favorite cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln and as a member of Congress after his election in 1862 over Republican Leonard Swett was a frequent visitor at the White House even though he was an anti-emancipation Democrat .   He was defeated in 1864 by Republican Shelby Moore Cullom , a Lincoln ally .   Following his defeat in 1864 , Stuart resumed the practice of law in Springfield . He died there and was interred in the Oak Ridge Cemetery .   In the fall of 2007 , Centre College ( Stuart 's alma mater ) dedicated Stuart Hall , a building that once housed the College 's bookstore but is now a residence hall , in honor of the influence Stuart had over Lincoln 's career path as well as Stuart 's contribution to law .   The firm that he founded in Springfield Illinois , once known as `` Stuart and Lincoln , '' is still operating under the name `` Brown , Hay , & Stephens , '' and includes his great-great-grandson as a partner .

neg: Archibald Williams (judge) Archibald Williams ( June 10 , 1801 -- September 21 , 1863 ) was a United States federal judge .   Born in Montgomery County , Kentucky , Williams read law to enter the bar in 1828 . He was in private practice in Quincy , Illinois beginning in 1829 . He was the United States Attorney for the District of Illinois from 1849 to 1853 . He served in both the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois State Senate .   On March 8 , 1861 , Williams was nominated by President Abraham Lincoln to a new seat on the United States District Court for the District of Kansas created by 12 Stat . 126 . He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 12 , 1861 , and received his commission the same day . Williams served in that capacity until his death , in 1863 , in Quincy , Illinois .   Archibald Williams 's historical significance was based on his close friendship with Abraham Lincoln , the 16th President of the United States , who issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves . Lincoln was from Springfield , Illinois , and Williams was from Quincy , Illinois , a port city on the Mississippi River along the western border of the state . The two men were close political allies in the Whig Party and , later on , in the newly founded Republican Party . They first met when serving in the Illinois state legislature in the early 1830 's . They were compatriots for 29 years .   Archibald Williams led the life of a political party workhorse , first for the Whig Party and then the Republicans . He served in the Illinois state legislature , made two unsuccessful runs for the U.S. Senate as a Whig , played a leading role at the Illinois state Constitutional Convention of 1847 , chaired many important political meetings in Quincy , Illinois , attended many state political party conventions , made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. House of Representatives , and in 1858 campaigned in Illinois for his friend Abraham Lincoln . In all recorded instances , Archibald Williams gave Abraham Lincoln his true and unwavering support .   Archibald Williams died in 1863 . By that time , Abraham Lincoln was President of the United States and the leader of the Northern states during the American Civil War .   Birth and Early Life   Archibald Williams was born in Montgomery County , Kentucky , on June 10 , 1801 . He was the son of John Williams and Amelia Gill Williams . He grew up in Kentucky , qualified to be a lawyer in the neighboring state of Tennessee , and then moved west with some of his brothers and sisters to Quincy , Illinois . As a young attorney , he rode circuit , going from county court to county court arguing legal cases . He was particularly noted for taking cases on appeal , and he argued many cases before the Illinois state Supreme Court .   He married Nancy Kemp , who also had come from Kentucky , on July 28 , 1831 . They had nine children , but only five grew up to be adults . For several months in early 1832 he served as a volunteer in the Black Hawk War against Native Americans . In the fall of 1832 he strongly supported Henry Clay for President of the United States .   At the Illinois State Legislature   Archibald Williams was elected to the Illinois state Senate in 1832 . He studied and reported on School Financing to the state Senate , arguing for local control of schools rather than establishing a statewide system . Later in his legislative career , he labeled the Illinois Internal Improvements program `` Infernal Improvements '' due to its financial difficulties leading to bankruptcy .   Abraham Lincoln was elected to the state legislature in 1834 . Archibald Williams and Lincoln became good friends and both subsequently joined the Whig Party . Lincoln was said to have seen Archibald Williams as a great `` reasoner . '' The two men were described as `` sitting next to each other in the southeast corner of the statehouse . '' It was noted : `` Lincoln did not hesitate to consult Williams at all times , and the two men were often associated in legal work . ''   Twice the Whig Candidate for U.S. Senator   Archibald Williams ran for the United States Senate as a Whig in 1836 and in 1842 . At those times the selection of U.S. senators was made by both houses of the state legislature . Lincoln voted for Archibald Williams the first time he ran for U.S. Senator in 1836 . The second time Archibald Williams ran , in 1842 , Lincoln was no longer in the state legislature and thus could not vote for his friend . In both instances , Archibald Williams was not elected .   Witnessed Abraham Lincoln 's Admission to U.S. Courts   Abraham Lincoln was admitted to practice law in the United States Circuit Court on December 3 , 1839 . U.S Court Judge Nathaniel Pope presided over the ceremony . A Quincy , Illinois , newspaper noted that Archibald Williams was present at the ceremony .   Presided Over Whig Party State Conventions in Illinois   Archibald Williams presided over a Whig Party state convention meeting in Springfield , Illinois , in 1843 . Abraham Lincoln attended the convention and was elected a Whig Party presidential elector for the 1844 presidential election . Unfortunately for the Whigs , Democrat James K. Polk of Tennessee won the presidential election .   In June of 1844 , Archibald Williams was elected president of an Illinois state Whig Party convention in Peoria , Illinois . Abraham Lincoln spoke to the convention in support of the United States charging higher tariffs on imported goods , a major Whig position at the time .   Supported African Colonization of Freed Slaves   Along with Abraham Lincoln , Archibald Williams in the 1840 's supported the African colonization of freed slaves by joining the Illinois colonization society . Although opposed to slavery , both men believed Southerners should be allowed to keep their slaves but also should be urged to free their slaves voluntarily and return them to Africa . This was thought to be a reasonable and non-coercive solution to the slavery problem .   The Mormon Problem in Illinois   Joining with his friend and fellow Quincy lawyer Orville Browning , Archibald Williams in 1840 helped to defend Mormon leader Joseph Smith from being extradited to Missouri to face possible execution for alleged crimes . Joseph Smith was the founder of the Church of Latter Day Saints ( Mormons ) , and he and his church were unpopular because of the voting power of his supporters and their belief in men having multiple wives . Thanks to Browning 's and Williams 's arguments in court , Smith was not extradited to Missouri but remained in Illinois and founded a Mormon colony at Nauvoo , Illinois .   Four years later , in 1844 , Smith and his brother Hyrum were murdered by a mob while incarcerated in the jail at Carthage , Illinois . Williams and Browning switched sides and helped to defend in court the accused murderers of Joseph and Hyrum Smith . The murderers were all found not-guilty .   Shortly afterward , Archibald Williams chaired a meeting in Quincy , Illinois , that sought to arrange for a peaceful departure of the Mormons from Illinois to the far western state of Utah . Archibald Williams appointed a delegation of Quincy citizens that traveled to Nauvoo and convinced the new Mormon leader , Brigham Young , to leave Illinois for Utah in an orderly manner . Brigham Young said the Mormons could not leave immediately , but when `` grass grows and water runs , '' both signs of spring . The following spring the Mormons peacefully left Illinois for Utah , traveling mainly by wagon train .   The Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1847   Archibald Williams was elected to the Illinois state Constitutional Convention of 1847 as a Whig . The convention met in the state capitol in Springfield , Illinois , and proceeded to write an improved state constitution . Williams was elected in a Democratic district against a Democratic candidate . Although the Democrats had a majority of the delegates to the convention , the Whigs could break away Democratic votes when they needed them and ended up dominating the convention . A historian noted : `` James W. Singleton of Mount Sterling , Archibald Williams of Quincy , and David M. Woodson of Carrollton aggressively upheld the Whig cause against the attacks of various capable Democratic opponents . ''   At the constitutional convention , Archibald Williams and the Whig Party supported the rights of property , strict voting requirements in state elections , and allowing the state legislature to override the governor 's veto by a majority vote rather than a two-thirds vote . Two issues were sent to the state 's voters - one calling for the creation of an Illinois state bank and the other limiting the immigration into Illinois of freed slaves from the slave states . The voters of Illinois rejected the idea of an Illinois state bank but approved limiting the immigration of freed slaves .   Archibald Williams gave a major speech at the constitutional convention opposing the idea that the Illinois Supreme Court should meet at various locations throughout the state rather than only in the state capital of Springfield . After the constitutional convention adjourned , the voters of Illinois approved the new constitution by a ratio of almost 4 to 1 .   The Constitutional Convention of 1847 was a landmark in the legal and political career of Archibald Williams . He succeeded in furthering the ideals and policies of the Whig Party against stiff Democratic Party opposition . He was three months in Springfield , the state capital , meeting and working with many of the leading politicians and government officials from throughout the state . It helped to make him a significant figure in Illinois political and governmental history .   The `` Lincoln Letter '' to Archibald Williams   In the 1848 presidential election , Abraham Lincoln was backing General Zachary Taylor , a Mexican War hero , for the Whig Party nomination . A problem developed when Orville H. Browning , a Whig Party leader in Quincy , Illinois , supported the nomination of past Whig Party favorite Henry Clay . On April 30 , 1848 , Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to Archibald Williams urging him to support Zachary Taylor and , if possible , also enlist the support of Browning . The letter read :   Washington , April 30 , 1848  Dear Williams ,   I have not seen in the papers and evidence of a movement to send a delegate from your circuit to the June convention - I wish to say that I think it all important that a delegate should be sent - Mr. Clay 's chance for election is just no chance at all . He might get New  York , and that would have elected in 1844 but it will not now ; because he must now at the  least , have Tennessee , which he had then and , in addition , the fifteen new votes of Florida , Texas , Iowa , and Wisconsin . I know that our good friend Browning is a great admirer of Mr. Clay , and I therefore fear he is favoring his nomination . If he is , ask him to discard feeling , and try if he can possibly , as a matter of judgement , count the votes necessary to elect him .   In my judgment , we can elect nobody but Gen. Taylor , and we can not elect him without a nomination - Therefore do n't fail to send a delegation -   Your friend as ever ,  A. Lincoln   This letter demonstrates the close friendship and easygoing familiarity between Abraham Lincoln and Archibald Williams . It also reveals Lincoln 's developing skills as an up and coming Illinois politician . It is not known whether Archibald Williams prevailed on Orville Browning to support Zachary Taylor for the Whig nomination for president in 1848 . What is known is that Zachary Taylor not only gained the Whig Party nomination but also won the presidency .   Named U.S. District Attorney for Illinois   Once in the White House in Washington , D.C. , newly elected President Zachary Taylor appointed Archibald Williams the United States District Attorney for the state of Illinois . Abraham Lincoln had sent the following letter in support of Williams 's nomination :   Washington , March 8 , 1849  Hon : John M. Clayton  Secretary of State   Dear Sir :  We Recommend that Archibald Williams , of Quincy , Illinois , be appointed U.S. District Attorney for the District of Illinois , when that office shall become vacant .   Your Obt . Servts .  A. Lincoln   As U.S. District Attorney for Illinois , it was Archibald Williams 's job to prosecute cases in the U.S. District Court . The job became more difficult for Williams in 1850 when Congress enacted the Compromise of 1850 , which included a new Fugitive Slave Law . This law required Williams , in his role as U.S. District Attorney , to oversee the capture of runaway slaves and their return to their owners in the South . Williams was opposed to slavery personally but , in the 1850 's , acknowledged the right of slave owners in the South to keep their slaves . He fully discharged his duties under the Fugitive Slave Act .   Death of Nancy Kemp Williams   Archibald Williams 's wife , Nancy Kemp Williams , died on March 16 , 1854 , giving birth to a daughter , Nancy Williams . The baby survived the birth and lived to be an adult . Archibald and Nancy Williams had been married for 22 years .   Candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1854   In the early 1850 's , U.S. Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois sought the adoption of the Kansas and Nebraska acts . The bills provided for Kansas and Nebraska to become territories with provision for `` popular sovereignty , '' the idea that the citizens of each new territory would be allowed to vote on whether the territory should be slave or free . This produced a sharp reaction on the part of those opposed to slavery in the territories , because the Missouri Compromise of 1820 had stated that the lands that comprised Kansas and Nebraska should be free territory , not slave territory .   The result was the anti-Nebraska movement , which opposed popular sovereignty for Nebraska on the grounds that the citizens of the territory might vote for slavery and thereby spread slavery further into the territories . Archibald Williams and Abraham Lincoln both became anti-Nebraska men . For his part , Archibald Williams ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1854 on a strong anti-Nebraska platform .   Williams was running against incumbent Democratic Representative William A. Richardson , a formidable opponent . The U.S. House district that comprised Quincy , Illinois , was strongly Democratic . On the other hand , Richardson was a close political ally of Stephen Douglas and had strongly backed popular sovereignty for Nebraska in the U.S. House . Williams and his supporters hoped the wave of anti-Nebraska sentiment sweeping the northern states might just be strong enough to defeat Richardson , despite the strong Democratic voting tendency of the House district .   On October 31 , 1854 , Abraham Lincoln arrived in Quincy , Illinois , to give a speech in support of Archibald Williams 's candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives . It took two days for him to travel by railroad and stagecoach to Quincy . In a letter to a friend and political ally , Lincoln wrote : `` I am here now going to Quincy , to try to give Mr. -LSB- Archibald -RSB- Williams a little life . ''   Even with Abraham Lincoln 's help , Archibald Williams lost the election to William Richardson . The overall election was a success for the anti-Nebraska movement , however , as the anti-Nebraska forces won enough seats to gain a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives . After 1854 , Archibald Williams and Abraham Lincoln and other anti-Nebraskans took the lead in forming the Republican Party in Illinois around the issue of `` no slavery in the territories . ''   An Archibald Williams Committee Influences Lincoln   Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter in which he said he was ready to `` fuse '' with other anti-slavery groups according to `` principles '' adopted at a public meeting in Quincy , Illinois . The purpose of fusion was to bring many disparate anti-slavery groups together to form the Republican Party . Lincoln 's letter noted that the principles had been drawn up by a three-person committee led `` by Mr. Archibald Williams . '' The principles centered on the idea that Southern slave owners could keep their slaves but that slavery would be forbidden in the territories .   Archibald Williams and his committee either influenced Lincoln directly on `` fusion , '' or else they confirmed a position on `` fusion '' that Lincoln had already adopted .   At the United States Supreme Court   Archibald Williams argued a case before the United States Supreme Court on December 6 and 7 , 1855 . Orville Browning , Williams 's good friend from Quincy , Illinois , was the opposing lawyer . The issue in dispute dealt with rival claims for lands and centered on whether the question of `` bad faith '' in the matter should be decided by a judge or by a jury . The Court ruled in Wright v. Mattison that `` bad faith '' should not be decided by the judge but by the jury , which had been the precedent . The Court ordered the case to be retried in a lower court . The outcome was a victory for Browning and a loss for Williams .   The Beginnings of the Republican Party in Illinois   In 1856 , Archibald Williams was the temporary chairman at a major anti-Nebraska convention in Bloomington , Illinois . Williams led the convention until a permanent chairman had been elected . While attending the convention , Abraham Lincoln and Archibald Williams slept in the same bed at the Bloomington home of David Davis , a close friend of both men.A historian noted :   `` At Bloomington , Lincoln , Archibald Williams , his old associate in the Legislature , -LSB- and -RSB- T. Lyle Dickey , of Ottawa -LSB- Illinois -RSB- , a good lawyer , went to -LSB- David -RSB- Davis 's house and lived there during the Convention . Lincoln and Williams slept in one bed and Dickey and Whitney in another ... The course of the historic Bloomfield Convention was decisively influenced by the counsels that came from the steady men in the Davis House . ''   Although the name `` Republican '' was applied at a later date , the anti-Nebraska convention in Bloomington was considered the birthplace of the Republican Party in Illinois .   The Election of 1858   In 1858 , at a state party convention in Springfield , Illinois , Abraham Lincoln was nominated to be the Republican candidate for U.S. Senator from Illinois . A resolution passed at the convention stated that Lincoln `` was the first and only choice of the Republicans of Illinois for the U.S. Senate . ''   In the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates in the 1858 Illinois U.S. Senate race , Democratic candidate Stephen Douglas attacked Lincoln three times for having been described as `` the first and only choice '' of Illinois Republicans for the Senate seat . All three times , Douglas pointed to Archibald Williams as an Illinois Republican who would have been an acceptable alternate choice to Lincoln in that contest .   Archibald Williams traveled and spoke throughout the state of Illinois in Lincoln 's behalf during the 1858 U.S. Senate race . A newspaper in Quincy , Illinois , allied with the Republican Party , printed : `` Old Archie Williams is doing good service for the Republican cause ... He has already spoken at Macomb , Oquawka , Monmouth , Cameron , Galesburg , and other points ... to large assemblages ; and everywhere , he has created enthusiasm and confidence among our friends and animated the lukewarm ... In the winter of his life ... Mr. Williams is found battling for the cause of Republicanism . ''   The Illinois state legislature chose Stephen Douglas over Abraham Lincoln in the 1858 U.S. Senate race . A close friend of Lincoln 's wrote : `` In January , 1859 , while the Democrats were celebrating the election of Stephen A. Douglas to the United States Senate , Archibald Williams ... came into Lincoln 's office and finding him writing said : ` Well , the Democrats are making a great noise over their victory . ' Looking up Lincoln replied : ` Yes , Archie , Douglas has taken this trick , but the game is not played out . ' ''   The Lincoln-Douglas debates became so well-known that Lincoln gave personally signed presentation copies of the debates to his best friends and political associates . The one given to Archibald Williams was inscribed in Lincoln 's handwriting : `` To Hon : Archibald Williams , with respects of A. Lincoln . '' It was one more sign of Lincoln 's close friendship and strong political alliance with Archibald Williams .   The Presidential Election of 1860   On December 25 , 1859 , a number of leading Republicans in Quincy , Illinois , including Archibald Williams , met with Horace Greeley , a prominent national journalist and editor of the New York Tribune . Greeley had famously stated `` Go west , young man . Go west ! '' Williams and the other Quincy Republicans talked to Greeley about Abraham Lincoln possibly becoming the Republican candidate for President in 1860 . Archibald Williams spoke throughout Illinois in behalf of Abraham Lincoln during Lincoln 's successful 1860 campaign for the White House in Washington , D.C.   Almost on the Supreme Court ,  Then U.S. District Judge in Kansas   Following his election to the U.S. presidency in 1860 , Abraham Lincoln offered Archibald Williams a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court . Williams refused the offer due to ill health and advanced age . Williams recommended that Lincoln appoint a younger court nominee who could live for more years and thereby serve longer on the Court .   Archibald Williams was then appointed by President Lincoln to be the Judge for the U.S. District Court of Kansas . Williams was the first person to hold the office of U.S. District Court Judge in Kansas , because Kansas had just been admitted to the Union as a state . Williams moved to Topeka , Kansas , the state capital , where he served more than two years as U.S. Judge . He moved back to Quincy , Illinois , shortly before his death on September 21 , 1863 .   During his tenure as the U.S. District Court Judge for Kansas , Archibald Williams worked on such issues as building a branch of the transcontinental railroad across Kansas , fair treatment of Native Americans in railroad matters , and the loyalty to the Union cause of a U.S. Army officer stationed in Kansas . Also while in Kansas , Williams married his second wife , Ellen M. Parker , on September 24 , 1861 . The marriage lasted a little less than two years until Archibald Williams death .   While serving as the U.S. Judge for Kansas , Archibald Williams traveled to Washington , D.C. , and , on May 29 , 1962 , paid a last visit to his old friend Abraham Lincoln in the White House .   Death and Burial of Archibald Williams   Archibald Williams was praised in obituaries as a leading attorney in Illinois in the mid-19th Century . His many political and governmental activities were noted , along with his deep friendship with Abraham Lincoln . The bar association in Quincy , Illinois , donated a large marble grave marker for Williams . The base of the marker was a stack of law books ; an obelisk was placed on top of the law books . He was buried in Woodland Cemetery in Quincy , Illinois , at a grave site that overlooks the Mississippi River .

neg: California gubernatorial election, 1861 The California gubernatorial election , 1861 took place on September 4 , 1861 . Incumbent Governor John G. Downey was not a candidate for renomination , as his Democratic Party had violently ruptured over the issue of slavery and secession . Downey was a Lecompton Democrat , those who favored slavery in the Kansas Territory and who were running as now as the Breckenridge or `` Chivalry '' Democrats . These Chivalry Democrats supported Attorney General John McConnell . Anti-slavery or anti-secession Democrats were the `` Unionist '' Democrats who favored John Conness .   With the dire split in the Democratic Party , even more bitter then in 1859 , former Republican nominee Leland Stanford won a plurality of the popular vote and won the governorship . Stanford polled less than a tenth of the vote last election and became the first Republican Governor of California . Both Stanford and Conness later served in the United States Senate .

neg: United States presidential election in Nebraska, 2008 The 2008 United States presidential election in Nebraska took place on November 4 , 2008 as part of the 2008 United States presidential election . Voters chose 5 electors to the Electoral College , who voted for President and Vice President . However , this state is one of the two states of the U.S. that , instead of giving all of its electors to the winner based on its statewide results , just 2 of them vote based on the statewide results , and the others vote based on their individual congressional district results .   Nebraska , statewide , was not a swing state in 2008 . Located in the Great Plains of the United States , it is one of the most staunchly Republican states in the country . While some hypothetical general election match-up polls between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama showed the race to be seemingly close , they were largely regarded as outliers as more polls released showed McCain leading in double digits . McCain wound up carrying the popular vote in Nebraska by 14.93 points , taking in 56.53 % of the total statewide vote . However , Obama narrowly defeated McCain in Nebraska 's 2nd congressional district , which contains Omaha and the surrounding areas . Due to Nebraska 's system of allocating electoral votes to winners of Congressional Districts , Obama was able to win one electoral vote while John McCain received the state 's other four electoral votes .

neg: Abraham Herr Smith Abraham Herr Smith ( March 7 , 1815 -- February 16 , 1894 ) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania .   A. Herr Smith was born near Millersville , Pennsylvania , in Lancaster County , Pennsylvania . He attended Professor Beck 's Academy at Lititz , Pennsylvania . He graduated from Dickinson College in Carlisle , Pennsylvania , in 1840 . He studied law , was admitted to the bar in 1842 and commenced practice in Lancaster , Pennsylvania . He was a member of the Pennsylvania State House of Representatives in 1843 and 1844 , and served in the Pennsylvania State Senate in 1845 .   Smith was elected as a Republican to the Forty-third and to the five succeeding Congresses . He served as chairman of the United States House Committee on Mileage during the Forty-seventh Congress . He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1884 . He resumed the practice of law , and died in Lancaster in 1894 . Interment in Woodward Hill Cemetery .

neg: Half-Breed (politics) The `` Half-Breeds '' were a political faction of the United States Republican Party in the late 19th century . The Half-Breeds were a moderate-wing group , and were the opponents of the Stalwarts , the other main faction of the Republican Party . The main issue that divided the Stalwarts and the Half-Breeds was political patronage . The Stalwarts were in favor of political machines and spoils system-style patronage , while the Half-Breeds , led by Maine senator James G. Blaine , were in favor of civil service reform and a merit system . The epithet `` Half-Breed '' was invented in derision by the Stalwarts to denote those whom they perceived as being only half Republican .   In the 1880 Republican National Convention , the Stalwart candidate , former president Ulysses S. Grant , was pitted against Half-Breed James G. Blaine for the party nomination . Grant 's campaign was led by Stalwart leader Roscoe Conkling of New York , the state with the biggest split between Stalwarts and Half-Breeds . Despite Conkling 's attempts at imposing a unit-rule in the Republican National Convention by which a state 's votes would be grouped together for only one candidate , a number of Stalwarts went against him by vocalizing their support for the Half-Breed Blaine . The Half-Breeds united to defeat the unit-rule in a vote , and elected Half-Breed George Frisbie Hoar to the position as temporary chairman of the convention .   Both sides knew there was no chance of victory for either candidate , and the Half-Breeds chose James Garfield as a compromise candidate . Garfield won the party 's nomination on the thirty-sixth ballot , and won the 1880 presidential election . Blaine was chosen as Garfield 's Secretary of State , and carried heavy influence over the political appointments Garfield issued for congressional approval . After Garfield was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau , a Stalwart , who proclaimed , `` I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts and Arthur will be President '' , the new Stalwart president Chester A. Arthur surprised those in his own faction by promoting civil service reform and issuing government jobs based on a merit system .   The Half-Breeds put through Congress the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act ( authored by Democrat George H. Pendleton ) , and Arthur signed the bill into law on January 16 , 1883 . The act put an end to the spoils system , at least symbolically , placing a significant number of federal employees under the merit system and putting the government on the road to true reform . The act also set up the United States Civil Service Commission , banished political tests , denied jobs to alcoholics and created competitive measures for some federal positions .   The Half-Breed and Stalwart factions both dissociated towards the end of the 1880s .

neg: New York's 23rd congressional district special election, 2009 The 2009 special election for New York 's 23rd congressional district was held on November 3 , 2009 , to select the successor to Republican John M. McHugh . McHugh was nominated to become United States Secretary of the Army on June 2 , 2009 , and resigned as representative of New York 's 23rd congressional district on September 21 , 2009 , after being confirmed by the Senate .   The Democratic Party and the Working Families Party nominated businessman and attorney Bill Owens , and the Conservative Party of New York nominated businessman and accountant Doug Hoffman . The Republican Party and Independence Party nominated State Assembly member Dierdre Scozzafava , who withdrew from the race three days before the election and endorsed Owens . On Election Day , Owens defeated Hoffman .   The 2009 special election received significant national attention , and was alternately described as `` a referendum on President Barack Obama '' and `` a fight over the identity of the Republican Party . '' The race was also noteworthy due to the Tea Party movement influence on its outcome , and for its impact on same-sex marriage legislation in New York .