Literacy Rates And The Constitution: Were Americans Educated?

The United States Constitution, written and signed in 1787, is one of the most important documents in the country's history. It is a charter of government that outlines the rules and laws that the people and government must follow. While it is not known how many people were literate when the Constitution was written, we do know that literacy rates in the US were relatively high in the 19th century, with an estimated literacy rate of 80% by 1875. However, it is important to note that literacy rates varied across different regions and populations, with the Southern Colonies exhibiting lower literacy rates, especially among poorer whites and enslaved individuals.

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Literacy rates in the Southern Colonies

The Constitution of the United States was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with an additional signature by George Reed on behalf of the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The delegates assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, but they ended up redesigning the government.

The Southern Colonies exhibited lower literacy rates, particularly among poorer whites and enslaved individuals. Enslaved people were denied access to education, and poor whites could only attend schools if they could pay, as Southern state governments typically did not fund public schools. Religious institutions were central to literacy education throughout the colonies, with churches serving as educational centers and ministers and religious leaders promoting literacy to facilitate scripture reading. However, in the Southern Colonies, laws were enacted to restrict the education of enslaved individuals, as literacy was seen as a potential means of resistance. Despite these restrictions, some enslaved individuals acquired literacy, often in secret.

In general, men, particularly those from higher social classes or urban centers, were more likely to be literate than women across the colonies. Formal education for women was limited in the Southern and Middle Colonies, and many remained illiterate. In New England, some women achieved basic literacy through home instruction or religious communities.

While there is limited data on specific literacy rates in the Southern Colonies during the time of the Constitution's writing, we can look at broader trends. In the late 18th century, literacy rates in the United States were relatively high, and by 1875, the U.S. literacy rate was approximately 80%. Colonial literacy in America even surpassed that of northwestern Europe. However, it is important to note that disparities existed, and enslaved individuals and racial and ethnic minorities faced significant obstacles to literacy.

The Constitutional Convention

Literacy rates in the United States in the 18th century were varied. In the Middle Colonies, literacy rates were moderate, reflecting the region's religious and ethnic diversity. Education was often provided through private tutors, church-run schools, or apprenticeships. The Southern Colonies exhibited lower literacy rates, especially among poorer whites and enslaved individuals. Enslaved people were denied access to education, and poor whites could only attend schools if they could pay, as Southern state governments did not typically fund public schools. By the 19th century, the U.S. literacy rate had increased to approximately 80%.

During this period, concerns arose about the Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that their young country was on the brink of collapse due to the lack of enforcement powers, inability to regulate commerce, and other issues granted by the Articles. As a result, the Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787. The delegates met to revise the Articles of Confederation but ultimately decided to create a new form of government.

On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total to 39 signatures. The Constitution established a powerful central government while addressing the concerns of the states. It was then ratified by nine of the 13 states, bypassing the state legislatures and instead relying on special ratifying conventions in each state. The Constitution, signed in the same place and manner as the Declaration of Independence, continues to be the supreme law of the land and a beacon of democratic ideals worldwide.

The Constitution's ratification

Literacy rates in the United States in the 18th century were varied. In the Middle Colonies, literacy rates were moderate, reflecting the region's religious and ethnic diversity. Education was often provided through private tutors, church-run schools, or apprenticeships. The Southern Colonies exhibited lower literacy rates, especially among poorer whites and enslaved individuals. Enslaved people were denied access to education, and poor whites could only attend schools if they could afford to pay. By the 19th century, the U.S. literacy rate had increased to approximately 80%. However, it is important to note that literacy rates do not provide a complete picture of the population's ability to engage with written materials, as they do not account for factors such as access to education, language proficiency, and the complex definitions of literacy.

Now, let's turn our attention to the ratification of the United States Constitution:

The Constitution, written and signed in 1787, underwent a ratification process to become the supreme law of the land. The Constitutional Convention, convened in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787, resulted in the creation of a new form of government rather than a revision of the existing Articles of Confederation. The delegates, representing diverse interests and views, crafted compromises to address contentious issues such as congressional representation and slavery. They agreed to count each state's population, including enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person, for representation in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

To ratify the Constitution, the founders bypassed the state legislatures and called for special ratifying conventions in each state. According to Article VII, ratification by nine out of the thirteen states was required to enact the new government. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, and the Confederation Congress set March 4, 1789, as the date to begin operating under the new government. The Constitution, with its flaws and compromises, has endured as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions worldwide, inspiring democratic ideals and freedom.

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The Constitution's authors

The Constitution was written and signed in 1787, in Philadelphia, by 38 delegates—39 including George Reed, who signed on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware. James Madison is often referred to as the "Father of the Constitution" as many of his ideas were incorporated into the document. The other key authors of the Constitution were Alexander Hamilton and George Washington, who, along with Madison, feared that their young country was on the brink of collapse.

The delegates assembled in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had given the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but no enforcement powers. However, it soon became clear that the delegates were forming an entirely new form of government. The authors of the Constitution were wary of centralized power and loyal to their states, so they created a powerful central government. Representing wildly different interests and views, they crafted compromises to unite the states.

The delegates argued fiercely over congressional representation—whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. They compromised by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They also agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person, and to allow the slave trade to continue until 1808.

The Constitution was an extraordinary achievement and is one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world. It was a charter of government that came to be ratified by the states, and it continues to be the supreme law of the land.

The Constitution's impact on slavery

Literacy rates in the United States were moderate in the Middle Colonies and lower in the Southern Colonies, particularly among poorer whites and enslaved individuals. Enslaved people were denied access to education, and slave owners almost always made efforts to limit the education of enslaved people, including curtailing literacy.

The US Constitution, written in 1787, was intended to redesign the government and included several provisions that protected the institution of slavery. The delegates at the Constitutional Convention compromised by agreeing to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person, and they allowed the slave trade to continue until 1808. Article 1, Section 9, prohibited Congress from banning the importation of slaves until 1808, and Article 5 prohibited this from being amended. Article 1, Section 2, the Three-Fifths Compromise, provided that for representation in Congress, enslaved black people in a state would be counted as three-fifths of the number of white inhabitants of that state. This compromise was included in the Constitution to benefit the Southern states, where a large amount of slave labor was concentrated. Article 4, Section 2, contains the Fugitive Slave Clause, which required that an escaped slave be returned to their owner, even if they fled to a non-slavery state.

Many of the Founding Fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Gouverneur Morris, and George Mason, were critical of slavery. Madison attacked slavery early in the Convention, stating that it was a "ground of the most oppressive dominion ever exercised by man over man." Despite these critiques, slavery persisted after the ratification of the Constitution, and the number of slaves grew through natural increase and slave imports from abroad.

It took a Civil War and the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1865 to officially abolish slavery in the United States. The Thirteenth Amendment forbade chattel slavery and declared it illegal across the United States and its territories.

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