Irish group took over the city. The
English started taking control of Ireland
in 1170. They made Dublin the center
of the English government in Ireland.
In 1801 Ireland was joined to England,
Scotland, andWales to form the United
Kingdom. As a result Ireland’s lawmakers
began to meet in London, England,
instead of Dublin. Dublin lost some of
its importance.
Irish groups began to rebel against
English rule in the mid-1800s. Dublin
was often the site of violence. In 1921
Ireland became an independent country
with Dublin as its capital.
#More to explore
Ireland
Du Bois,W.E.B.
W.E.B. Du Bois was an early leader of
the civil rights movement in the United
States. His goal was to win equal rights
for African Americans.
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was
born on February 23, 1868, in Great
Barrington, Massachusetts. He went to
Fisk University and to Harvard University.
He earned a doctoral degree at Harvard
in 1895.
Du Bois became a professor who studied
and wrote about black life in the United
States. His most famous book, The Souls
of Black Folk, encouraged blacks to fight
inequality.
Du Bois disagreed with Booker T.Washington,
another important African
American leader.Washington opposed
protest as a way to change society. Du
Dublin Castle lies on Cork Hill near the
river. The English used the castle as their
headquarters until 1922.
W.E.B. Du Bois
80 Du Bois, W.E.B. BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Bois believed that blacks could achieve
racial equality only through protest.
In 1905 Du Bois began organizing
groups to demand equal rights for
blacks. In 1909 he helped form the
National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People (NAACP).
Late in life Du Bois lost hope that the
United States could solve its racial
problems. He became a citizen of
Ghana, inWest Africa, in 1963. He died
there on August 27, 1963.
#More to explore
Civil Rights • National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People
•Washington, Booker T.
Duck
The waterbirds called ducks are related
to geese and swans. There are about 100
species, or types, of duck. They are
found almost all over the world. Many
types migrate, or fly long distances to
spend different seasons in different
regions. People keep ducks for their
meat, eggs, and feathers. Some hunters
shoot ducks for sport.
Physical Features
Ducks, geese, and swans are called
waterfowl in North America and wildfowl
in Europe. These birds have stout
bodies and webbed feet. Soft inner
feathers called down protect them from
cold. A gland near the tail produces oil.
This oil helps protect the outer feathers
from water.
Ducks are the smallest of the waterfowl.
For instance, the mallard is a fairly large
duck at about 24 inches (61 centimeters)
long. Ducks’ legs are set far back on
their bodies. This helps them swim well
but makes them waddle when walking.
Female ducks have mainly brown or
gray feathers year-round. The males look
like the females for part of the year. But
most males have more colorful feathers
during the breeding season. For
example, breeding male mallards have
shiny green heads.
Behavior
Many types of duck feed at the water
surface. They dip their heads below the
surface while tipping up their tails.
These ducks are called dabbling ducks.
They eat mainly plants and insects.
They include mallards, black ducks,
teals, pintails, and shovelers.
Many ducks nest on the ground near
water. Perching ducks are dabbling
ducks that nest in trees. They include
the wood duck and the mandarin duck.
Ducks that dive deep into the water are
called diving ducks. Some types eat
mostly fish and live on the open seas.
The male mandarin duck is known for its
colorful markings.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Duck 81
These sea ducks include mergansers,
scoters, and eiders. Other diving ducks
stay close to shore.
#More to explore
Bird • Goose •Migration, Animal • Swan
Duncan, Isadora
In the early 1900s the dancer Isadora
Duncan created a new form of dance.
Duncan rejected the strict rules of
ballet, which was the main form of
dance at the time. Duncan’s free style
of dancing came to be known as
modern dance.
Duncan was born in San Francisco,
California, on either May 26, 1877, or
May 27, 1878. She was one of four children
raised by their mother, a poor
music teacher. At first her name was
Angela Duncan. While in her teens she
changed her first name to Isadora.
Duncan learned ballet as a child. However,
ballet’s rigid movements did not
please her. She soon began to invent a
more natural way to express herself
through dance. Duncan performed in
New York City and Chicago, Illinois,
but she did not have much success. At
age 21 she left for Europe.
Duncan’s dancing fascinated European
audiences. She danced to classical
music, just as ballet dancers did. But
Duncan made up many of her moves
during each performance. She was the
first Western dancer to perform
barefoot and without tights. She wore a
loose dress based on ancient Greek
costumes.
Duncan eventually opened dance
schools in France, Germany, the United
States, and the Soviet Union. She taught
her students how to follow the natural
movements and rhythms of their bodies.
