Skill.

In an age when all documents had to be written by hand, it was essential that these documents be written neatly and legibly. Handwriting was an important skill to learn, and there was disagreement about the best way to teach it. Most schools simply taught writing by having students learn words; the Lancastrian system and Jenkins's system both taught letters before words. Jenkins's system was specifically a way to learn penmanship, while Lancaster's system was part of a whole theory of education. Writing with a good hand was crucial to doing business, and young men trying to advance in the business world would generally enter an established firm as a clerk, responsible for copying documents. It was essential that they write clearly and quickly. One writing teacher noted that his students were graded 70 percent on legibility, 20 percent on speed, and 10 percent on elegance...