Elijah Risley

Article summary

Elijah Risley (May 7, 1787 – January 9, 1870) was a U.S. Representative from New York. Born in Connecticut, Risley completed preparatory studies before moving to Fredonia, New York, in 1807, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits. Risley was the sheriff of Chautauqua County, New York from 1825 to 1828, and later became supervisor of the town of Pomfret in 1835. From 1833 to 1853, he engaged in the cultivation of garden seeds. Risley was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-first Congress on March 4, 1849, and served until March 3, 1851. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1850. He was also a Major General in the State militia. Risley died in Fredonia, New York on January 9, 1870, and was interred in the East Main Street Cemetery.

Key claims

1. date of birth: 1807 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
2. date of death: 1870-01-09 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
2. The record states that the date of birth is "1807". What evidence would count against this claim?
3. The record states that the date of death is "1870-01-09". What evidence would count against this claim?
4. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
5. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1375415980