The History and Importance of American Handwriting and Penmanship

The History and Importance of American Handwriting and Penmanship 

In our first blog post, we'll explore the important history behind American Handwriting and Penmanship. Few people are aware that penmanship's rich history is a uniquely American saga, perhaps the most influential factor in our country’s becoming a literate nation. In the beginning, the British colonists' educational goal was teaching "uniformity," a shaded script with close letter-spacing -- in other words, everyone's handwriting looked alike. 

The Rise of American Handwriting and Penmanship
But, Americans came from many countries, and a mixture of styles sprang up. During that time, the most beautiful American-based handwriting was that of Platt Rogers Spencer, whose simple strokes were based on movement, curvature, contrast and variability. This allowed individuals to create their own unique style of handwriting. 

With the American Industrial Revolution in full motion, there was high demand was for penmen who could write well and fast; it was almost a guarantee of employment. Business schools flourished. Austin Palmer invented a simpler style that was easier for children, called the Palmer Method. A new style was born and taught to virtually every American student for decades: cursive handwriting. 

Handwriting is more than just words on paper...
For many people, the term “handwriting” brings to mind solely the activity of writing words on paper, and the image of the handwritten words themselves. In reality, handwriting is much more than this. Since the birth of humankind, handwriting has served culture after culture as a means of personal artistic expression, relaying visual representations of thoughts and emotions.

A major purpose of the film, With Pen in Hand: The Journey of American Handwriting, is to share this very human aspect of handwriting through the calligraphic images of various renowned lettering artists, past and present. Calligraphy is artistic handwriting, and it has always served to celebrate, recognize, and inspire people, events, and ideas.

The Significant Impact of American Penmanship and Handwriting
Both the Spencerian and Palmer systems allowed Americans to learn how to write in a smooth, legible form that could be read by any other literate person. This ability became crucial in the rise of American Education, Commerce and Agriculture. Bills of lading, invoices, ledger entries – how could our great breadbasket of the world have come about without clear, readable information? 

Without these skills, could a middle class have evolved? Could illustrators and painters have learned the hand-to-eye coordination necessary for their art forms? Personal handwritten correspondence from the earliest days of the Republic – these have preserved unique insights into our ancestors and how we came to be what our country is and who we are as individuals. Will they still be readable in 20 years? Additionally, more studies are indicating that students learn more readily and retain content better when they are writing than when word processing.

Influence of American Handwriting Internationally
The influence of American handwriting extends far beyond our country’s borders. With English increasingly becoming the international language of business, a number of countries are using American handwriting models and reference materials to instruct their citizens, including children, in the art of written language – especially in English. The focus of these experiences is to view handwriting both as a means of artistic expression and verbal communication. These programs are being received with great enthusiasm by teachers and students alike.

In Mexico, writing and reading cursive handwriting in English as well as Spanish is considered very important for proper etiquette for those hoping to be holding positions in business, commerce, and government. The skill of writing and being able to read handwritten correspondence – especially in English – is considered a sign of courtesy and proper protocol in all of the countries mentioned. American Handwriting is also very popular in Asia and many other regions around the world.

Handwriting in the Digital Age
It has been several decades since Handwriting has been a subject of emphasis in America’s primary schools. For over 150 years, a person's ability to write in a legible manner was one of the cornerstones of American education, viewed as a standard of personal and business communication. It also provided an artistically pleasing and often quite individualistic expression by the writer. 

However, technology seems to have outdated manual correspondence, resulting in the removal of handwriting instruction from most public schools in our country. Navigating a keyboard and tablet is a necessary life-skill for the new generation, but an unintended consequence is that many students cannot read or write basic cursive. 

Today's students are unable to read the Declaration of Independence, or the US Constitution as they were written – documents that still order most of their lives – nor correspondence from the Civil War, hand-written manuscripts of literary classics, the arts, scientific milestones, politics or industry, even letters or notes from their own families’ recent past.

We Need Your Tax Deductible Donation
Your tax-deductible donation will provide funding to help finish the production, post-production work and distribution. We have different donation levels (starting at just $25) and you will receive a token of our appreciation at each level. 

We will provide updates on the film's progress on our website and blog. Thank you for your support!