How were the founders of the US able to write long letters in a flawless manner.

Question:The Declaration of Independence seems perfectly straight, without lines. Other correspondence from that period is similarly written.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: The Declaration of Independence seems perfectly straight, without lines. Other correspondence from that period is similarly written.

They discovered centuries ago that they could lay a lined paper underneath a plain sheet and see the lines well enough to write straight.

When you buy a stationery tablet, there is still a lined sheet you can lay underneath the one you are writing on.

Practice, practice, practice.

back then penmanship was an important aspect to any educated man unlike today

Michael has it right, penmanship was very important and children would be punished for bad penmanship.