Tag Citizen Archivist Program

articles, Forensic Document Examination

Why Most Americans Can’t Read Cursive Anymore

Illustration of a volunteer transcribing a Revolutionary War-era cursive document at a desk

Most Americans can’t read cursive handwriting. Here’s how volunteers in the National Archives’ Citizen Archivist Program are making history accessible—one document at a time.

Bart Baggett
October 26, 2026