I followed your link and read the jokes from 19th century America. I came to the conclusion that what I'd thought was my prejudice against American "humour" is, in fact, not prejudice at all. Not one titter was raised by any of those jokes. They are, quite simply, not funny in any objective sense. They represent misplaced wit that's hardly worthy of the name, and are just about as far from generating belly-laughs as it's possible to be. They are attempts to be over-clever by people who are complete strangers to clever.

I suppose you guys still think that Bob Hope ever said anything funny or witty. Tsk.