In the 19th Century, if you could not read or write, it was common to sign legal documents with an “X.” Countless Americans moved through history in this way. One notable example is Harriet Tubman, the famous abolitionist and political activist who was born into slavery. During the Civil War she served as cook, nurse, scout, soldier and spy for the Union Army.
An Open Letter to Generation X
By Edward J. Ulman
President & CEO
Alaska Public Media