Reading, Writing, Rithmetic!

Another question related to schooling is whether a person could read or write. Although phrased differently, the basic question was asked in 1850-1930. This question can tell us several things.

You might wonder why the question stopped being asked after 1930. By that time education had become standardized in the United States, causing illiteracy to be a rare occurrence. After all, why would you ask a question that everyone was going to answer yes?

Was There a Reason?

This question can give you a sense of your ancestor’s living conditions. If they were not able to read and write, ask yourself why. Were they recent immigrants? Was there a school close to where they lived? If not, did they have the financial means to send their children to a boarding school in a fairly close town? Were the children required to work as soon as they reached school age to help support the family? These questions and others can help you determine why a person was unable to read or write.

Literacy is for a Lifetime

Whether a person is literate or not can help you track ancestors with common names. If you’re blessed with an ancestor named John Roberts and there were six John Roberts in his county, take note of whether your John Roberts can read or write. Looking for deeds, probate, or any other documents that he would have signed for either his signature or “his mark” can help you distinguish between people. Remember, if he was illiterate he could have learned to read at some point, but if he could read and write he would have kept that skill his entire life.

The same could be true for the census as well. If your John Roberts reported he could read and write in 1870 but was not able to in 1880, slow down and make sure you have the correct John Roberts. I have run across people on census returns in my research that had the same name, the same age, with spouses named the same in one county, so it does happen!

As you’re researching the census, slow down and pay attention to those Ys and Ns. They could be the key to your next breakthrough!