Prior to the 19th century, the most commonly used style of lettering was called copperplate. This form of lettering was an alternative to the time-consuming calligraphy that had been common. Because speed was essential in the Age of Commerce, a style of penmanship was needed that could be written quickly and was easy to read. Copperplate was invented and, though it varied, was the standard for paperwork throughout the 16th century up until the early 19th century. So named because of the copper plates that were used to print books, this style was very popular.
During the 19th century more people were becoming literate and a legible, quick form of writing was needed that was more uniform than copperplate. Spencer created a style that fit these requirements in the 1830s and taught this style at his penmanship school. Spencerian and was a massive change in the handwriting styles that were common in the 19th century. Spencerian script focused on the natural movements on the hand, making writing less tiring. It was also more graceful and curving than copperplate, making it quicker to write. By the 1850s, Spencerian was the dominant style of writing and was taught in all of the schools in the United States.
Although Spencerian was the most common lettering throughout the 19th century, other lettering styles were developed and used as well. Italian or "Italiante" hand was commonly used by female writers because it was easy to learn and feminine looking. Black Letter, or German Hand, was used for legal documents and for books.
By the 1870s, when the typewriter was introduced, penmanship and lettering began to lose its importance. It was no longer essential to learn the specific styles of lettering in order to communicate and writing professionals began to decline in number. Although there was a resurgence of interest in calligraphy around this time by the artist William Morris, who opened a printing press and brought attention to penmanship in the art world, it did not stop the decline of lettering.