This learning activity uses photographs and newspaper articles to learn about disabled newsies (newsboys) in the early 1900s.

*Note: Before starting this exercise, discuss respectful language and historical terms (like crippled) which are considered offensive today.

Consider starting with the Observe, Reflect, Question approach to analyze the newspaper articles and photographs.

For background information about newsies, I suggest starting with this LOC Research Guide.       

Potential Discussion Questions

1. Did anything surprise you in these articles or photos?
2. Using specific examples from the sources, what was it like for newsies to live with a disability at the turn of the twentieth century?
3. How would you describe the newsie community? (were they competitive? did they support each other? etc.)
4. What were some of the ways people could become disabled at the turn of the twentieth century?
5. What types of mobility aids did some disabled newsies use?
6. Why do you think disabled children and adults might have worked as newsies (compared to other jobs)? What makes you think that?
7. What can we learn about community from these sources? How did newsies help/support each other? How did the broader community support the newsies? 

Discussion questions for the news articles "Newsy's Handicap Removed"; "Takes Pity on Crippled Newsie"; and "When Tulsa and Muskogee's..."

1. What attitudes about people with disabilities do these articles express? What evidence is in the primary sources?
2. How have attitudes about people with disabilities changed since the early 1900s? How are they the same?

Additional questions can be found in the teaching notes for the individual sources.

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This source set can be put in conversation with:

-general newsy sources/exercises, which are already on the TPS Network

-the 1992 Disney musical movie “Newsies” (available on Disney+)

-lessons on child labor during the Progressive Era

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Alt text for the photographs is available on the LOC website. Alt text for the newspaper articles is available in the reference note section for each source.