Scratch: Write Like A Colonial

Edward Winslow used to e-mail his Loyalist friends all the time back in 1784. Then he realized the Internet hadn't been invented yet, so he stopped.

Just kidding. Winslow didn't have electricity, let alone a phone or a computer. If he wanted to communicate further than shouting distance, he had to write letters on handmade paper - using homemade ink - with a quill pen he had to carve himself.

Use the Quill Pen Simulator to write your own letter, Winslow-style.

Launch the Quill Pen Simulator (136 K) in a new window (requires the Macromedia Flash plug-in version 6 or above)

If your browser doesn't have the required Flash plug-in, you can still write a Winslow-style letter.

• You can make your own quill pen by following these instructions from Heritage New Brunswick's Our Stories, Our People web site.
• Or you can purchase and install the Johann Sparkling ITC font on your computer, then use any word processor to type your letter.