"The Sparrow War" — Illinois, USA (1891–1901)

In 1891, Illinois paid children two cents for every dead sparrow. Here's how the Illinois sparrow bounty turned into one of America's strangest government backfires. The State That Paid Kids to Kill Birds #IllinoisHistory #WeirdHistory #UnintendedHistory sparrow bounty, illinois sparrow bounty, english sparrow, house sparrow, 1891 illinois, illinois history, american history, weird history, forgotten history, animated history, government bounty, unintended consequences, sparrow war, cobra effect, bird history, history facts, unintended history