The Quill is Mightier than the Ballpoint

Every time I read the Declaration of Independence I get goosebumps--inside and out. I consider it scripture. It is one of the most beautiful and brilliant things ever written... and it was written with a quill pen.

When we began studying early American history and colonial times, my kids were ecstatic to see I had quill pens, ink powder, and 18th century writing paper. They asked to use it EVERY DAY.

I was saving it all for the day we talked about the Declaration, however.  It gave them something to look forward to. On the third of July I pulled it out. Interestingly, they liked writing with quill pens better than modern pens. P1 discovered that he had much better penmanship when using a quill. P2 said that he was going to sign his first baseball contract with a quill pen.

P3 used his quill to do a caricature of Thomas Jefferson, and a funny on dinner;
 it was Jefferson who introduced America to macaroni and cheese,
as well as ice cream, which he had while in France.

From the quill packaging:

"Nothing has so affected our lives as the quill pen. 'These are the times that try men's souls...' 'When in the course of human events...' 'We the People of the United States...'  Stirring words written by courageous, determined men with the one instrument that is mightier than the sword. Quill pens came into use as early as the seventh century and remained the writing instrument for most of the western world for over a thousand years.  This instrument was used to pen great works of literature, books, daily correspondence, and historical documents that changed the world, such as the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, and our Constitution. The best pens were from the flight feathers of geese. The word pen comes from the Latin word 'penna' (feather). To cut the pens, a knife was needed, hence the word 'penknife.' Scribes and stationers carved, sharpened, and shaped the point (nib) for writing...hence the word 'stationery.' No two quills write alike because of the development of the shaft and the carving of the quill maker. Each pen is straight off the goose and is as unique as the writer in that no two are alike. Therefore it was and is today a tedious art to select, clean, prepare and trim each quill."

At first P1's quill wasn't writing well.
He turned his pocketknife into a penknife and got it working just write...er, right.

P2 was disgusted with everyone else's printing and diligent in writing his passage of the
Declaration of Independence in cursive.

This was schoolwork that everyone was happy to do!