The National Archives is/are Looking For People who Can Read Cursive Script

Can you read the document pictured above? Around the turn of the century, many schools quit teaching children how to read and write in cursive, instead using that class time to teach typing skills. While schools are starting to go back to teaching cursive, that still leaves a generation of Americans without those skills. Since much of our history is documented in beautiful handwritten cursive script, the National Archives and Records Administration is going above and beyond to preserve, transcribe, and make accessible the documents that tell the story of America. These include letters, pension grants, land records, and diaries. They want to put a lot of American history online to prepare for America's 250th birthday next year.

So they are seeking your help. If you can read cursive handwriting, you can sign up as a volunteer for the National Archives. Work as little or as much as you like, and help make those handwritten documents accessible to everyone. Read about the project and how you can get involved at Smithsonian.

PS: I had no trouble reading the declaration, but I ran into conflicting advice on whether "National Archives" should be treated as a single entity or a plural.


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My husband does genealogy research on his ancestors and everything is in cursive and nearly impossible to decipher. I tried reading some texts and got a headache doing it.
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"..should be treated as a single entity or a plural." .. if it makes it any easier it'll probably be historical itself any minute now. Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it, while those who would apparently tear up documents meant to be sent to that archive by legal requirement and flush them down the toilet* are apparently voted back in.
* also likely explains why he kept complaining about the toilets not flushing well. Can't be his regularity, as he asures people he is in amazing health.
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