Cross-written Letter, 1864

Description

Media Type

Image

Description

Letter written by unknown author to Henry Cleaveland (?) in Washington D.C. ; February 1864.

Notes

Letters were the main source of communication for people of this time period. Letters were very important for people to communicate with loved ones and friends, but was also a means of keeping up with local and current events.

Due to high postage rates during this time period, people would rarely use envelopes, as that counted as an extra page to be paid for. They would instead fold their letter so that the outside was blank except for the postage address, and have the contents of the letter on the inside. To fit as many lines on one page as possible, some people would cross-write their letters. This process would involve turning the page 90 degrees and continuing their writing. In some cases, the recipient would use the same letter and write on top of the words from the previous letter.

The price of sending a single letter was very expensive and was calculated per page up until January 1844. After this date, all letters were rated in accordance with weight and the distance it was to travel. In 1849, legislation was passed regarding a reduction in postage charges on all letters passing between places within the provinces or within British North America to a uniform rate of three pence per one-half ounce (14 grams).

Date of Original

1 Feb 1864

Subject(s)