HISTORIANS UNCOVER THE PAST through the writings people leave behind. But what happens when we can’t read those writings? Under guidance from staff at the Smithsonian Transcription Center, you can learn to transcribe handwritten documents from the Smithsonian’s Freedmen’s Bureau collection, making them readable and usable.
THE FREEDMEN’S BUREAU was a U.S. agency set up in 1865, at the end of the Civil War, to assist in the social and economic transition of nearly 4 million people from slavery to freedom and citizenship. It operated until 1872.
Bring your own laptop. Also learn about Spencerian handwriting techniques and then practice with pen and ink. View letters and diaries from the museum's collection, wile also examining 19th century writing instruments.
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