Correspondence of George Washington 1797 July 2 -Writing in the 18th Century ~
Writing in George Washington’s era was a complex technical process that required a diverse array of materials and techniques, often difficult or expensive to acquire, and laden with social meaning.
Good penmanship was an essential skill for merchants. “Writing is the First Step, and Essential in furnishing out the Man of Business,” wrote the English teacher and author Thomas Watts in 1716, and business manuals throughout the eighteenth century tied good handwriting directly to a merchant’s reputation and credit.
Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library, and https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/writing-in-the-18th-century/
