Can You Read This Cursive Handwriting? The National Archives Wants Your Help

The National Archives houses countless historical documents, many written in cursive and dating back more than two centuries. These records, however, can be challenging to read, particularly for individuals who were never taught cursive in school.

To address this, the National Archives launched the Citizen Archivist program, which invites volunteers to transcribe and organize its handwritten records. The program’s goal is to "unlock history" by making these documents more accessible, as outlined on the initiative’s website.

Every year, the National Archives digitizes tens of millions of records using artificial intelligence and optical character recognition (OCR) technology to extract text. Unfortunately, these methods are not always accurate or effective, which is where volunteers come in. By transcribing digital records, participants ensure that historians, genealogists, and curious readers can easily locate and understand the content.

Getting involved in the program is simple. "There’s no application," says Suzanne Isaacs, a community manager with the National Archives, in an interview with USA Today. "You just pick a record that hasn’t been done and read the instructions. It’s easy to do for a half hour a day or a week."

The program also offers alternative tasks like "tagging," which involves categorizing already transcribed records to improve their searchability. This makes it an excellent opportunity for anyone, regardless of their cursive-deciphering skills.

Currently, over 5,000 volunteers are engaged in the program, working on "missions" that include Revolutionary War pension files and employee contracts from 1866 to 1870. One notable mission, launched in partnership with the National Park Service in June 2023, focuses on Revolutionary War pension files, encompassing records related to more than 80,000 veterans and their widows.

"The pensions are revealing the stunning—frequently heartbreaking and sometimes funny—complexity, nuance and previously unknown details about the American Revolution and the nation in the decades after," says Joanne Blacoe, an interpretation planner for the National Park Service.

Volunteers can dedicate as much time as they choose to the program. For some, like retiree Alex Smith from Pennsylvania, this work has become a long-term commitment. Over nine years, Smith has transcribed more than 100,000 documents. "I was looking for something to give purpose and could give some structure to my retired life," Smith told WTOP. "It was just perfect." Through this work, Smith has encountered everything from surprising documents, such as a letter inviting Gerald Ford to join the Green Bay Packers, to deeply moving Civil War pension records. "You’re seeing people in desperate straits," Smith said. "They’re trying desperately to get some reasonable pension paid to them, and you think, ‘These are individual tragedies.’"

While cursive instruction was once a standard part of education, it has since become a topic of debate. Some argue that schools should prioritize keyboard skills in an increasingly digital world. Nevertheless, cursive is experiencing a resurgence, with over 20 states now requiring schools to teach it, according to Education Week.

In California, a law mandating cursive instruction went into effect in January 2024. "For some students, it’s a great alternative to printing, and it helps them be more accurate and more careful with the writing," said Erica Ingber, principal of Longfellow Elementary School in Pasadena, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "And then for others, it’s just another thing that is difficult for them."

Kentucky followed suit a few months later with its own law requiring cursive instruction. "We don’t want this to become a lost art," Sean Howard, superintendent of Kentucky’s Ashland Independent School District, told WSAZ. "There is research that connects the ability to read and fluency … to the ability to write cursive."

Whether through legislative efforts or volunteer programs like Citizen Archivist, the ability to read and write in cursive remains a valuable skill that connects modern readers with the rich tapestry of history.