If my researching skills haven't let me down, did you know that...
RKKay
Posts: 3,017 ✭✭✭
in June of 1792, it cost more to send a one ounce letter via USPS from Boston to Richmond than it did in March of 1988?
https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/domestic-letter-rates-since-1863.pdf
https://about.usps.com/who-we-are/postal-history/domestic-letter-rates-1792-1863.pdf
3
Comments
Not to mention the coin(s) required to do it in 1792 are worth WAY more now. Man, the USPS really figured out how to raise some money. Tricky little organization...
Amen, brother.
Specializing in 1854 and 1855 large FE patterns
<
I'm not surprised. I suspect most Americans in 1792 were illiterate, or nearly so. People who knew how to write a letter had money.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Look into what it cost to use the Pony Express.
@RKKay: thanks for this interesting post!
(By the way, @Sonorandesertrat: I think literacy among white Americans was quite high in 1792 -- maybe 75 % or higher. Certainly people involved in frequent long distance correspondence were relatively well off!)
They had to be literate enough to read all the money changing tables.
Writing more than one's name, at that time, was strongly tied to the clergy and professional occupations (doctors, lawyers, scribes, businessmen). There is also a big difference between being able to read a letter and being able to compose one (this is something that every foreign language learner encounters today). New England males, especially in Boston, were highly literate (women less so), and literacy drops as one looks at states in the South.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
Amen. When it comes to French I can read pretty well. But then it gets worse from writing, to speaking, and then to hearing - in that order.
"Today the crumbs, tomorrow the
loaf. Perhaps someday the whole damn boulangerie." - fictional Jack Rackham
Having lived in different countries, I was able to 'hear' and understand the language before I could speak it (was never fluent)....Could read it to some extent...at least enough to get the 'message' in the factory or a restaurant. Never tried to write a letter though... or a report in other than English. Cheers, RickO
The Growth of Literacy in Western Europe from 1500 to 1800
https://brewminate.com/the-growth-of-literacy-in-western-europe-from-1500-to-1800/
Successful transactions with : MICHAELDIXON, Manorcourtman, Bochiman, bolivarshagnasty, AUandAG, onlyroosies, chumley, Weiss, jdimmick, BAJJERFAN, gene1978, TJM965, Smittys, GRANDAM, JTHawaii, mainejoe, softparade, derryb, Ricko
Bad transactions with : nobody to date
That was an interesting read.
RMR: 'Wer, wenn ich schriee, hörte mich denn aus der Engel Ordnungen?'
CJ: 'No one!' [Ain't no angels in the coin biz]
That was a very good read. I have a book on Antietam that studied the literate personal correspondence of soldiers writing about the same battle from both sides. Really enjoy knowing more about literacy. Peace Roy
BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW