Literacy among American Indians: Levels and Trends from 1900 to 1930 and across Birth Cohorts from 1830 to 1920

Abstract

This article investigates American Indian literacy in the United States. Using 1900 through 1930 decennial census data, literacy levels and trends in reading and writing are documented for this period and for people born from 1820 through 1920, providing a large-scale historical picture of American Indian literacy. The pace and extent of literacy is documented from very low for those born during the early 1800s to fairly universal for those born during the early 1900s. Increases in Native literacy are demonstrated to have been closely related to birth year, with successive birth years having higher levels of literacy. Little evidence was found that increases from 1900 to 1930 happened because people increased their literacy after the school years and as they matured through adulthood. A close birth year level relationship between literacy and one year of school attainment was also found.