Fun Facts!
- Did you know that Quills were the main writing instrument from the 6th century to the 19th century.
- Many important documents have been written with a Quill, including the Dead Sea Scrolls, The Magna Carta and the Declaration of Independence.
- Ink became taxed, so people began making ink from black walnuts and flowers.
- Goose quill pens are given as souvenirs to Lawyers when they visit the Supreme Court.
- Thomas Jefferson had a flock of 20 Geese so that he would never run out of feathers for writing.
- The best feathers for a Quill were feathers from a Goose, Swan or Turkey.
- Quills were usually sold in bundles.
- It was invented in Spain
- They were replaced by the fountain pen in 1827
- Quills are very pressure sensitive
- Quills can have a blunt end or a pointy one
The History Lesson
I had my kids find some fun facts of their own, about the Quill. After they came up with a list of items, I had them use a Quill from a Turkey feather to see how easy or hard it would’ve been to use. My two older kids are left handed, so I had them wear gloves because the ink would be easily smeared. We have been reading about Presidents and learning about the Declaration of Independence, which was written in a Quill pen. As part of the lesson, I had them write out their class rules with a Quill pen. They were able to see just how tedious it is to work with a Quill, as compared to a modern day pen.
Take-Away?
As a Parent, it was great seeing the intrigue of having my kids learn something about the past. It was easy, fun and my kids definitely appreciated how blessed we are to be able to go to any store and buy a pen that works well, doesn’t stain or leak. They also appreciated not having to make their own ink, as we learned was a difficult task! Let’s just say, it brought a little bit of humility into their hearts and it will with your kids too!
Supplies:
Turkey feather
Ink
Paper
History book
Multiple videos on Youtube that document the Quill for fun visualization
