Handwritten History: Letters That Shaped Our World

Until relatively recently, writing notes, memos, and letters by hand was a critical component of human communication. Millions of pieces of paper kept the world moving day in and day out. Some have come and gone without the world batting an eyelid, while others have been read by thousands. In one way or another, big or small, they’ve all contributed to the world we live in today. Handwriting has given us a record of our past, otherwise faded or manipulated by oral tradition. It’s one of the things that separate us from our primate cousins.

Some of the oldest letters were penned by prophets, disciples, and imperial leaders. In many ways, they’re the cornerstones of our societies, prescribing morals and theology. But what about the handwritten words that didn’t shake the earth but simply nudged us one way or the other—reminding us of our duties, inspiring change, or reflecting on our mistakes? Those are the handwritten histories we’ll explore today.

Héloïse & Abelard’s Love Letters

12th-century Europe was a continent in flux. Feudalism still ruled supreme, with large crusades marching to the Middle East in the name of Christianity. Most people lived a deprived rural life, while at the same time, universities were springing up, and cultural norms and philosophies were being challenged.

Héloïse, a French nun, philosopher, and scholar, epitomized a piece of that changing world. She became famous for writing deeply intellectual letters to her former lover and husband, Peter Abelard, after they were forced apart following their tragic love affair.

In the letters, Héloïse expressed her internal conflict between her duties as a nun and her enduring love for Abelard. These letters provide insight into the complex roles of women, love, and intellectualism in medieval society.

"God is my witness that I should desire you, my beloved, to remember what I have done, how much I have suffered, for love of you alone... I sought nothing in you but yourself; I looked for no dowry, nor any marriage ties, nor did my wishes conspire with your own." — Héloïse to Abelard.

"I believed that God had touched your heart and turned you away from the world to Himself... You have had less need of consolation than I have, for you have had more faith." — Abelard’s reply.

Did Héloïse and Abelard know their words would have such rippling effects, or did their influence stem from unadulterated expression, free from worldly distractions?

Only centuries later were the two heralded as beacons of romanticism, with their letters first published in Latin in 1616. Expressions of thought like their letters helped push Europe into a new intellectual age, challenging strict gender norms and the control of monasteries in France.

Scott’s Farewell Letters

At the turn of the 20th century, many cities looked somewhat similar to how they might have when Héloïse and Abelard’s letters were first published. But the mood was entirely different. The 18th and 19th centuries had pushed Europe, and much of the world, into a technological spiral. People were becoming more adventurous, aspirational, and, unfortunately for world peace, frightfully greedy.

A handful of years before the war to end all wars began, the Terra Nova Expedition set out to reach the South Pole. Edgar Evans, Henry Robertson Bowers, Lawrence Oates, Edward Adrian Wilson, and Robert Falcon Scott reached the pole on January 17, 1912, only to discover that Roald Amundsen’s Norwegian expedition had beaten them by about a month. However, disaster struck on their return journey.

A number of factors conspired against them: severe weather, lack of supplies, poor planning, etc. Eventually, the five Englishmen resigned themselves to their frozen fate. With numb fingers and undoubtedly a heavy heart, Scott took out his pen and some scraps of paper and started to write.

The rescue mission found all five men dead. Attached to Scott were his last words, penned to paper. Two passages in particular captured the imagination of the masses at home.

"Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale." — Written to the public.

"We are in a very tight corner and I have doubts of pulling through. In case of misfortune, I want you to know how much you have meant to me. You and the boy will be looked after... If this letter reaches you, Bill and I will have gone out together." — Written to his wife.

These letters were seen by thousands, if not millions, in Britain at the time and perhaps helped instill a sense of sacrificial duty—something that would be called upon during the next thirty years.

A Letter From Birmingham Jail

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote this letter on April 16, 1963, in response to criticism from white clergymen who called his actions "unwise and untimely." The letter is a powerful defense of nonviolent civil disobedience in the fight against racial injustice.

Even from the confines of a sweltering jail in Birmingham, Alabama, King managed to have his say. And as is well documented, his words went a long way toward reforming racial politics in the U.S.A. and across the world.

While King might be best known for his "I Have a Dream" speech, his written words may have had an equal impact on the political landscape. It was, in effect, another form of peaceful protest, which gave him and the social justice movement its credibility.

The question hanging over all three examples, and those not mentioned, is: Would the impact be the same if these poignant words were typed? Is there something intrinsically powerful about putting pen to paper?

That’s for you to decide. We’ve already made up our minds, and it’s part of the reason why we’ve developed the smartest pen in the world. Not only does it provide an extra tool in your productivity kit, but it also helps us preserve our handwritten history by modernizing the humble pen.