Letter Writing - Templates for Social Life

In the 18th century, letter writing was a significant form of communication. Letter writing required instruction, told of rank in society, and today might even be considered an emerging art form of sorts. The following activities and information take you through the instruction, forms, and art of letter writing as provided through letters in the APS collections.

This page is for those curious about the practice of letter writing in the 18th century. Of course, for modern readers, this practice extends to texts, emails, and still the occasional “snail mail.” Each of the sections below contains information on portions of these practices, along with activities, and opportunities to make connections to current practices in the art of social communication.

Have questions or need more information? Email us at: [email protected] .

In the 18th century, letter writing and learning how to write letters was much more formal than it is today. The tone of a letter and what was considered appropriate to write in a letter depended on who you were writing to and why. You would not write the same letter to your mother as you would to a business partner. This is still true today, but we no longer formally learn the etiquette of writing letters the way they did in the 18th century.

Learn more about the Art of Letter Writing in the post, at right, by Dr. Janine Boldt, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow.

Be sure to check out the Mad Lib style activity to pick up some tips on how to send great thank you notes in 18th century fashion!

Imagine a world where there are vast physical distances between you and a friend, family member, or colleague. This might sound all too familiar to a reader in 2020, but this was also very familiar for most humans prior to improvements in transportation. To compensate for distance (and instead of relying on texts, Zoom, or emails) letters were commonly used to uphold social connections with those far away. Though the technology of communication has changed drastically, has much else changed?

Learn more about letters and social distance, at right.

Be sure to check out the kid-friendly letter activity that uses a letter from Ben Franklin as a template! Check out the highlights gallery below to see that letter (Benjamin Franklin's letter to Catherine Greene), and others.

To explore connections between letter writing and the postal service, explore the Franklin Ledgers Project!

The Franklin Ledgers Project (see link to the right), explores the many connected webs of Franklin's life and sheds new light on the daily life and activities of thousands of Philadelphians who visited Franklin’s shop and purchased items. Franklin might be the big name here, but the resource can be used to explore so many other, lesser-known figures in history!

Though some consider it a dying art form, cursive (or manuscript) handwriting is an essential skill for historians and to complete occasional but essential tasks. The resources to the right introduce you to how to write in cursive and how to read some 18th century writing. Also on the right, you'll find a link to explore educational resources focused on our NEH CARES funded project to transcribe Minutes of the APS.

Letters held in archives and research libraries, like the APS, hold so many opportunities for the classroom. Depending on how they are used, letters can incorporate social emotional learning, social studies/history, and ELA into one activity, lesson, or unit.

Letters also help us relate to the past. Though the letters used here are light-hearted, plenty of other letters in the collection show us how those in the past dealt with emotionally difficult moments. We encourage you to look through our Digital Library or to reach out for more examples.

Off to the right are additional resources to go along with the three other sections on this page. The first is a set of ideas and suggestions on how to incorporate letters and the content of this page into your classroom. The second, which is still in development, will be a transcription of the letters in the highlights gallery below.

If you have additional requests or need more information, please email us at [email protected].