Literacy Rates in the United States, by Race, 1870-1979
Total White Black & Other
1870 80.0 88.5 20.1
1880 83.0 90.6 30.0
1890 86.7 92.3 43.2
1900 89.3 93.8 55.5
1910 92.3 95.0 69.5
1920 94.0 96.0 77.0
1930 95.7 97.0 83.6
1940 97.1 98.0 88.5
1952 97.5 98.2 89.8
1959 97.8 98.4 92.5
1969 99.0 99.3 96.4
1979 99.3 99.6 98.4
Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970. National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education. "Literacy from 1870 to 1979: Illiteracy." National Assessment of Adult Literacy. Retrieved March 21, 2002 from [link to nces.ed.gov] Notes: Data for 1969 and 1979 "Black & Other" include only the rate for Blacks.