"Curious Facts," May 9, 1851 | State Historical Society of Iowa

This 1851 article from the Des Moines Courier highlights statistics about the British Isles in regard to crime and poverty.

Courtesy of Library of Congress, "Curious Facts," Des Moines Courier, pp. 2, 9 May 1851

Description

This article published in the Des Moines Courier is from 1851. It is taken from the British publication, Blackwood's Magazine. The article highlights statistics about the British Isles relating to crime, hunger, immigration and poverty.

Transcript of "Curious Facts" Newspaper Article

Printable Excerpt of "Curious Facts" Newspaper Article

Source-Dependent Questions

Why do you think the author(s) titled this article, "Curious Facts?"
Based on the statistics quoted in the article, what can you deduce are the biggest problems facing people in Ireland?
Why do you think the authors chose to print the facts that they did? What is the connection between, for example, immigration and crime? Starvation and crime? Rent and starvation? What patterns do you notice regarding these curious facts?
How might statistics like these help you understand why people leave their homeland and immigrate to a new country?

Citation Information

"Curious Facts," Des Moines Courier, pp. 2, 9 May 1851. Courtesy of Library of Congress