The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-07-09
COLONIAL ILLITERACY.
An Interesting Discussion Brought by
Examining Early Papers.

/ 1AaHilhlhb oPSAS'
Illiteracy in this country in Colonial
DAYS is a subject discussed in an his
| torical bulletin soon 10 be issued for
free distribution by Che United States
bureau OF education. The data were
gathered by an examination OF sigma
lures to the extant legal and other docu-
ments of Colonial days, for the purpose
of ascertaining the number of signers
who had TO make their marks. While
the data are not altogether conclusive
they seem 10 Indicate that Massachu-
setts occupied the most advanced eduea-
tional position in the seventeenth cen
fury, while Virginia brings up the rear.
The Dutch of New York and the Ger
mans OF Pennsylvania occupy middle po-
stions. These are all the colonies for
which data have been compiled in the
bureau Of educaton's bulletin.
The monograph says, in part:
AT Albany Of $50 mems names ex-
amined, covering the years from 1854
to 1878, q per cent. made their marks.
OF 23l mems signatures at Flatbush,
covering longer period, 10 per cent.
made their marks. OF the German male
immigrants above l6 years Of age who
came to Pennsylvania in the first half
of the eighteenth century, H. 1923 names
have been counted, with the result of
90 per cent. who made their marks.
"A significant result appeared from
our study Of illterscy, namely, that
the male Dutch inhabitants of Flatbush
made continuous improvement in this
respect, the percentage of illiteracy de-
creasing gradually from 40 per cent. in
1875 to about @ per cent. in 1893"
A most painstaking count of the sew
tenth century Nirginians Indicates that
OF 2,l65 male adults who signed jury
lists, 40 per cent. made their marks
and of l2.445 male adults who signed
deeds and dispositions, 40 per cent. made
their marks.
ain the case of the Dutch women
fewer names were collected and the
showing was not so good OF the l54
signatures of Dutch women in New
York which were available, an illiteracy
OF 90 per cent was indicated. OF 1906
women signing deeds and dispositions in
Virginia. IS per cent. made their marks.
by way OF comparison with these re-
suits. a study was made of the sigma
lures to deeds, etc, executed in Suffolk
county BOSTON,. Massachusetts, for two
periods in the seventeenth century a
generation apart" says the bulletin.
1.-TWO volumes of the published deeds
were used, the first covering the period
1858 1856, the other, 1886 1857.
In both the former and the latter
periods, the percentage OF men who made
their marks remained constant at Il per
cent, while the proportion OF illiteracy
among the women decreased from 5S per
cent to IS per cent
These data are exceedingly interest
ing and in a measure do indicate the
conditions of the colonies.
said James c. Boykin, editor of the
United States bureau of education, yes
terday "Thus, the figures from Nr-
gina and Massachusetts possess UNI
doubted significance. As rule persons
who sign deeds are of the more prosper /
Gus class; therefore If 40 per cent. of |
these documents are signed with a cross, /
as we find in Colonial Virginia, we may
be sure that the proportion of litter
acy in the entire population was far
greater.
1T must be borne in mind that these /
lata by no means offer final or ade- !
luate measure of educational conditions /
either as between the colonies or as be-
tween the past and the present. New /
the figures gathered are sug-
yestive and viii probably stimulate fur /
her investigating along the same line. y
The bulletin of the bureau of educa-
lion, which deals with Colonial litter
icy, is an historical monograph entitled,
The Dutch Schools of New Netherland |
md Colonial New York" The writer.
Dr. William Heard Fitzpatrick, assist
mt professor of the history of educa-
ion in teachers college, Columbia uni
'ersity, New York. makes the illiteracy
incidentally to his. main
heme. for the sake of showing the
status of the American
Dutch for the period covered in his mon
graph. The bulletin will be sent free
lpon request to the United States
Commissioner of Education, Department
# the Interior, Washington, d. c.