In 1983, Robert A. Peterson’s "Education in Colonial America" revealed some stunning facts and figures. “The Federalist Papers, which are seldom read or understood today even in our universities,” explains Peterson, “were written for and read by the common man. Literacy rates were as high or higher than they are today.” Incredibly, “A study conducted in 1800 by DuPont de Nemours revealed that only four in a thousand Americans were unable to read and write legibly” [emphasis mine].
Sunday, March 07, 2021
Just so you know …
… The Myth that Americans Were Poorly Educated before Mass Government Schooling - Foundation for Economic Education.
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At the time of the 1800 census, one fifth of the persons in the United States were slaves. This suggests that we need more context for DuPont de Nemours's assertion. I would also suggest that the Federalist Papers were intended for the voting public, and the franchise was considerably more restricted then than now.
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