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Hudson River | NY, NJ, CT, MA, VT, PA | Britannica
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<a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/241263-050-35AD90F5/Locator-map-Hudson-River.jpg" data-href="/media/1/274713/281153" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/241263-004-669E0E6A/Locator-map-Hudson-River.jpg" alt="Hudson River" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/132112-050-1B301A6A/Docks-Hudson-River-New-York-City.jpg" data-href="/media/1/274713/130029" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/132112-004-F18EB014/Docks-Hudson-River-New-York-City.jpg" alt="Hudson River docks" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/76/148876-050-C8AE0809/George-Washington-Bridge-Hudson-River-New-Jersey.jpg" data-href="/media/1/274713/155580" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/76/148876-004-0BEE5B3A/George-Washington-Bridge-Hudson-River-New-Jersey.jpg" alt="George 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<figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-20 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="13684" data-asm-type="image"> <div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"> <a style="min-height: 160px;" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/117963-050-A71138B4/Bear-Mountain-Bridge-Hudson-River-New-York.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/274713/113725"> <picture> <source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/117963-050-A71138B4/Bear-Mountain-Bridge-Hudson-River-New-York.jpg?w=300"> <img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/117963-050-A71138B4/Bear-Mountain-Bridge-Hudson-River-New-York.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop" alt="Hudson River" loading="eager" /> </picture> <button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"> <em class="material-icons link-blue" 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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-15T00:00:00CST" >Nov 15, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Hudson-River/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/timelapse-shows-nj-wildfire-smoke-drifting-nyc-115710706" rel="nofollow">Video Timelapse shows NJ wildfire smoke drifting to NYC</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 11, 2024, 2:09 AM ET (ABC News (U.S.)) <button class="btn btn-link d-inline p-0 font-12 js-toggle-recent-news"> <span class="text-gray-500">...</span><span>(Show more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/palisades-new-jersey-wildfire/" rel="nofollow">Palisades brush fires in New Jersey send smoke across Hudson River into NYC</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 9, 2024, 5:32 AM ET (CBS) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/brush-fire-breaks-out-in-the-palisades-along-hudson-river-team-coverage/" rel="nofollow">Brush fire breaks out in The Palisades along Hudson River - Team coverage</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 8, 2024, 7:43 AM ET (CBS) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/video/palisades-wildfire-creating-smoky-conditions-along-hudson-river-team-coverage/" rel="nofollow">Palisades wildfire creating smoky conditions along Hudson River - Team coverage</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 8, 2024, 3:27 AM ET (CBS) </span> </div> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><!--[BEFORE-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><!--[PREMOD1]--><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref109716"></span>Hudson River</strong>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/river" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">river</a> in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-state" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">New York</a> state, U.S. It flows almost entirely within the state, the exception being its final segment, where it forms the boundary between New York and New Jersey for 21 miles (34 km). The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Hudson-county-New-Jersey" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Hudson</a> originates in several small postglacial lakes in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Adirondack-Mountains" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Adirondack Mountains</a> near <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Marcy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mount Marcy</a> (5,344 feet [1,629 metres]), the highest point in New York, and flows about 315 miles (507 km) through the eastern part of the state. Lake Tear of the Clouds is regarded as the source of its main headstream, the Opalescent River.</p><!--[MOD1]--><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD2]--><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The Hudson follows a winding course for its first 108 miles (174 km), flowing generally southeast to Corinth in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Saratoga-county-New-York" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Saratoga</a> county and then northeast to Hudson Falls. From there it flows (without significant gradient) almost directly south for 200 miles (320 km) to the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="Battery" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Battery" data-type="EB">Battery</a> at the head of Upper New York Bay (at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-City" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">New York City</a>). It drains an area of 13,370 square miles (34,628 square km). Its lower course, about 150 miles (240 km) long, occupies a drowned valley; extending seaward from its mouth for about 200 miles is a deep <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/submarine-canyon" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">submarine canyon</a>. Tides are felt as far north as the federal dam at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Troy-New-York" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Troy</a>, where the mean tidal range is 4.7 feet (1.4 metres). The river reaches its widest point—3 miles (5 km)—at Haverstraw Bay (between <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Westchester" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Westchester</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Rockland-county-New-York" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Rockland</a> counties) before narrowing again to 0.75 mile (1.2 km) at its mouth. Together with the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Mohawk-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mohawk River</a>, its major tributary, it forms one of the nation’s most important waterways.</p><!--[MOD2]--><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD3]--><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="130028" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/132122-050-D9352568/valley-Hudson-River-state-New-York.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/274713/130028"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/132122-050-D9352568/valley-Hudson-River-state-New-York.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/132122-050-D9352568/valley-Hudson-River-state-New-York.jpg?w=300" alt="Hudson River valley" data-width="800" data-height="533" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/22/132122-050-D9352568/valley-Hudson-River-state-New-York.jpg" data-href="/media/1/274713/130028">Hudson River valley</a><span>The Hudson River and valley, southern New York state.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="281153" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/241263-050-35AD90F5/Locator-map-Hudson-River.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/274713/281153"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/241263-050-35AD90F5/Locator-map-Hudson-River.jpg"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/241263-050-35AD90F5/Locator-map-Hudson-River.jpg?w=300" alt="Hudson River" data-width="2000" data-height="2000" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/63/241263-050-35AD90F5/Locator-map-Hudson-River.jpg" data-href="/media/1/274713/281153">Hudson River</a><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The river was known to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mohican" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mahican</a> (Mohican) Indians as Muhheakunnuk (“Great Waters Constantly in Motion”). The Florentine navigator <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Giovanni-da-Verrazzano" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Giovanni da Verrazano</a> sailed a short distance upstream in 1524, but the river came to bear the name of the Englishman <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-Hudson" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Henry Hudson</a>, who explored it in 1609. Dutch settlement of the Hudson valley began in 1629, and the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="serene" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/serene" data-type="EB">serene</a> beauty of the region near <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Tarrytown" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tarrytown</a> formed a background for the stories of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Washington-Irving" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Washington Irving</a> and inspired the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Hudson-River-school" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hudson River school</a> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/landscape-painting" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">landscape painting</a> and architecture. A strategic waterway during the <span id="ref109717"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/American-Revolution" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">American Revolution</a>, the Hudson was the scene of numerous battles, including the decisive American victory at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Saratoga-county-New-York" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Saratoga</a> and the naval battle of Tappan Zee. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benedict-Arnold" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Benedict Arnold</a>, the American military commander of forts in the Tappan Zee area, escaped to a British ship anchored near the village of Garrison after his discovery as a traitor. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Washington" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">George Washington</a> made his headquarters at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Newburgh-New-York" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Newburgh</a>, along the west bank, in 1782 and later disbanded the American armies from there. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/The-Palisades" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">The Palisades</a> extend southward along the river’s west bank from southern New York into northern <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-Jersey" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">New Jersey</a>. The river is overlooked at West Point by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/United-States-Military-Academy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">U.S. Military Academy</a> and at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Hyde-Park-New-York" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hyde Park</a> by the home of Pres. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Franklin-D-Roosevelt" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Franklin D. Roosevelt</a>.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/water-and-its-varying-forms" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/02/157502-131-7C5D3A67/water-glass-background.jpg" alt="water glass on white background. (drink; clear; clean water; liquid)" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Water and its Varying Forms</div> </div> </a><!--[MOD3]--><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD4]--><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The opening of three canals during the 19th century (the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Erie-Canal" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Erie</a>, the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Delaware-people" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Delaware</a> and Hudson, and the Champlain) linked the river with the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Lakes" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Great Lakes</a> and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Delaware-River" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Delaware</a> and lower St. Lawrence river valleys. It was thus a key factor in the growth of the Midwest as well as of New York City. Practical steam navigation was begun by inventor and engineer <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Fulton-American-inventor" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Robert Fulton</a> in 1807, and the river quickly became a major commercial route. The main towns along its lower course owed their early <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="prosperity" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/prosperity" data-type="EB">prosperity</a> to the whaling trade, and later in the 19th century they became home ports for interoceanic fleets.</p><!--[MOD4]--><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD5]--><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="130029" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/132112-050-1B301A6A/Docks-Hudson-River-New-York-City.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/274713/130029"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/132112-050-1B301A6A/Docks-Hudson-River-New-York-City.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/132112-050-1B301A6A/Docks-Hudson-River-New-York-City.jpg?w=300" alt="Hudson River docks" data-width="1600" data-height="1067" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/12/132112-050-1B301A6A/Docks-Hudson-River-New-York-City.jpg" data-href="/media/1/274713/130029">Hudson River docks</a><span>Docks on the Hudson River, New York City.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Navigational improvements began in 1797, and in 1892 the Hudson was declared a federal government waterway. Controlling depth is 27 feet (8 metres) at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Albany-New-York" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Albany</a> and 14 feet (4 metres) from Albany north to the Mohawk River. The river is open and navigable to Albany year-round for oceangoing ships and from early May to mid-November to the Great Lakes (via the canalized <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Mohawk" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Mohawk</a> and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/New-York-State-Canal-System" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">New York State Canal System</a>) for pleasure-boat and tugboat-barge traffic. River-borne cargo includes wood pulp, steel, cocoa beans, grain, and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/scrap-metal" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">scrap metal</a>. Passenger traffic has been replaced by parallel rail and highway facilities. Numerous bridges cross the river, including (from north to south) the Castleton-on-Hudson (built 1959), the Rip Van Winkle (1935), the Newburgh-Beacon (1963), the Bear Mountain (1924), the Tappan Zee (1956), and the George Washington (1931). Vehicular and railway tunnels connect New York City to northern New Jersey.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><!--[MOD5]--><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD6]--><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Pollution of the river by industrial waste and raw sewage has been a continuing problem. <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="Conservation" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Conservation" data-type="EB">Conservation</a> groups have made attempts to preserve the river’s ecological values, and pure-water programs have been inaugurated by the state and local governments.</p><!--[MOD6]--><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span><span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/editor/Lorraine-Murray/5064">Lorraine Murray</a>.</span><!--[END-OF-CONTENT]--><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><!--[AFTER-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script> <!-- Ortto ebmwprod capture code --> <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":274713,"pageLength":746,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>