Duncan’s ideas inspired many future
generations of modern dancers.
In 1922 Duncan married a poet from
the Soviet Union. Many people in the
United States feared the Soviets. Some
accused Duncan of being disloyal to the
United States. She then left her home
country for good. Duncan died in Nice,
France, on September 14, 1927.
#More to explore
Ballet • Dance
Dune, Sand
#see Sand Dune.
Isadora Duncan based her dancing on
natural rhythms and movements.
82 Duncan, Isadora BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Du Sable, Jean-
Baptist-Point
Jean-Baptist-Point du Sable was an African
American trader. He was the first
non-Native American to settle in what is
now Chicago.
Du Sable was born around 1745 or
1750 in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti).
His father was French-Canadian and his
mother was a slave from Africa. In 1764
he moved to the French territory of
Louisiana. He later settled in what is
now Peoria, Illinois, where he married a
Native American woman of the Potawatomi
tribe.
In the 1770s the Du Sables settled near
the southern shore of Lake Michigan.
The Native Americans called the area by
a name that is now spelled Chicago.
There Du Sable established a successful
trading post where he sold supplies and
food.
In 1800 Du Sable sold out and moved
to Missouri, where he continued as a
farmer and trader until his death. But
his 20-year residence on the shores of
Lake Michigan had established his title
as Father of Chicago. Du Sable died in
Saint Charles, Missouri, on August 28,
1818.
..More to explore
Chicago
Dushanbe
Population
(2007 estimate)
660,900
Dushanbe is the capital of Tajikistan, a
country in central Asia. The city lies
Jean-Baptist-Point du Sable
A monument in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, celebrates
the city’s history.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Dushanbe 83
along the Varzob River. It is the country’s
center of transportation and industry.
Factories in the city make cloth,
electric cable, and refrigerators.
People have lived in the Dushanbe area
since ancient times. It developed into a
small market village. The Soviet Union
took over the area in 1920. The Soviets
built a new city at the site to be a
regional capital. In 1929 the city was
named Stalinabad. It was renamed Dushanbe
in 1961. Tajikistan became an
independent country in 1991 with Dushanbe
as its capital.
#More to explore
Tajikistan
Dust Bowl
The worst drought (lack of rain) in U.S.
history hit the southern Great Plains in
the 1930s. High winds stirred up the
dry soil. This caused huge dust storms
that ruined farmland. The affected
region came to be known as the Dust
Bowl. It included southeastern Colorado,
western Kansas, the panhandles of
Texas and Oklahoma, and northeastern
New Mexico.
Human mistakes made the drought
worse. DuringWorldWar I (1914–18)
farmers planted new fields of wheat.
Their plows removed grasses that had
held the soil in place. Cattle grazing on
ranches removed more grass. The loss of
the grass cover loosened the soil.
Winds blew soil away in dust storms
called “black blizzards.” The storms
blocked out the sun and piled dirt in
drifts. Some dust storms swept across
the country to the East Coast.
During the drought, fields produced
only one fourth as much wheat and corn
as before. Farmers struggled even more
because the drought came during the
Great Depression. The depression was a
time of great economic hardship. People
whose farms were ruined could not find
other jobs. Many moved to California,
where farms were still operating.
The U.S. government helped the Dust
Bowl area recover.Workers in government
programs planted grass and trees
to keep soil in place. A government
agency taught farmers better farming
methods. Near the end of the 1930s
rainfall finally increased. By the early
1940s the fields in the Dust Bowl area
were productive again.
#More to explore
Drought • Great Depression
A lack of rain and strong winds ruined
farmland and created the region known as
the Dust Bowl in the 1930s.
84 Dust Bowl BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Mammals are the only animals
that have ear parts on the outside
of the body.
(See Ear.)
The first Earth Day was celebrated
in the United States in
1970.
(See Earth Day.)
A solar eclipse happens when
the Moon comes between Earth
and the sun.
(See Eclipse.)
The Eiffel Tower was built in
1889 for a fair to celebrate the
100-year anniversary of the
French Revolution.
(See Eiffel Tower.)
More than 12 million people
passed through the U.S. immigration
center on Ellis Island
between 1892 and 1924.
(See Ellis Island.)
Ee
Eagle
Eagles are large birds of prey, meaning
that they hunt and eat animals for food.
They are related to hawks, falcons, and
vultures. Eagles have long held a special
place in the human imagination because
of their strength and soaring flight. The
golden eagle has been a symbol of power
since ancient times. The bald eagle is the
national symbol of the United States.
Eagles are found nearly all over the
world in many different habitats. There
are more than 50 species, or types, of
eagle. All are excellent hunters because
of their keen eyesight, strong claws, and
hooked beak. Different types of eagle eat
a great variety of animals. Their prey
