Love letters are one of the most cherished aspects of intimate American life. People throughout history, from colonial-era settlers to recent generations, have used them to express their fondness, admiration, and commitment to their loved ones. Through these personal correspondences, we can get a better understanding of the deeper nuances of American culture and history. In comparing and contrasting love letters over three unique time periods, the early 20th century, the mid-late 20th century, and the early 21st century, several themes evolve that bind these generations together. The love letters of these periods all exude love, adoration, and yearning. Yet, layering the wartime, post-war, and digital age context in which these love letters were written, a stark difference is revealed in terms of content, tone, and language.

The history and tradition of sending love letters dates back to the early colonial era. This letter-writing culture was heavily influenced by British and European courtly love traditions and ideals. Individuals in platonic and romantic relationships exchanged intimate letters describing their deepest thoughts and emotions. From the mid-1600s to the late-1800s, American courtship included particularly grand displays of affection and emotion through exchanges of handwritten love letters. These letters were usually written in a very formal tone, as was expected at the time. As couples courted for extended periods, these letters began to take on a more personal style.

The 20th century was marked by world wars that transformed the global landscape. As American troops were deployed all over the world, spouses, families, and brides-to-be were faced with a new reality. They needed to maintain loving, heartfelt connections with their loved ones, and the only means by which to do this was through love letters. During the early years of World War II, for example, many couples wrote letters expressing their commitment to each other despite being separated for extended periods. These wartime correspondences were absolutely critical to maintaining relationships, nurturing romance, uplifting morale, and giving hope for a future.

Love letters in World War II were important and influential. According to the 1942 Annual Report of the United States Postmaster General, "The Post Office, War, and Navy departments realize fully that frequent and rapid communication with parents, associates, and other loved ones strengthens fortitude, enlivens patriotism, makes loneliness endurable, and inspires to even greater devotion the men and women who are carrying on our fight far from home and from friends."² (Hoover 2022 ) Simply put, love letters for men in World War II served to improve their morale. While soldiers were enduring various combat settings, demoralizing circumstances, and unimaginable trials, these letters served as a form of therapy. Soldiers isolated would often yearn for any sort of meaningful information as a way to transport themselves away from the war effort for a moment. By writing letters, not only were they communicating with their loved ones back home about their status, but they also relayed desires and hopes for a post-war life. This hope helped soldiers stay motivated to endure and get through the tough battles, for what they desired was on the other side. The following image depicts American soldier Steve Vlaskamp with one of the many love letters written by soldiers.³ (Burnett 2019)

As the war drew to a close in 1945, the sheer magnitude of mail was estimated. According to the Hoover Institution, "In 1945 alone, nearly three billion pieces of mail were exchanged between servicemembers and the friends and family who supported them on the home front. Wartime letters and diaries reveal that the mail call was one of the most cherished rituals of soldiers and sailors serving abroad."² (Hoover 2022)

A powerful story helps illustrate the significance of wartime love letter writing. Natale Bellantoni was a gentleman who served with the United States Seabees on the Pacific front. From the South End, Boston, Natale communicated frequently with his family and his one-day wife. Not only did he respond with words but also personal illustrations of what he was witnessing, including but not limited to the latest wartime news, island concerns, and information, as well as projects his unit completed. However, the primary subjects of Natale's letters concerned his special someone, his lady, and one day, his wife, Irene. His letters to her reveal a beautiful love story and show how much of an impact the war had on Nat and his generation.² (Hoover 2022)

Natale's letters communicated homesickness, a common thought of soldiers during World War II. As the depressing, stressful, and sickening days of war tore away the mental well-being of many soldiers, letters were often an escape into happier memories, an intimate bond between man and paper, communicating emotions and savoring memories to escape it all. Once enveloped in war, there often is no way out. One way Natale mentally escaped was by writing about the hearty food for which his family was known. In one letter below, Nat's little brother Anthony jokes to his sibling that he would have sent him some cake, but it would have taken too long to reach him. Thus, Anthony had to eat it all himself. Warm moments like these certainly allowed these men to have a moment away from the chaos of war for happiness and hope.

According to Ken Burns, "Letters to and from the front lines were a lifeline for service men and women fighting in World War II. Few things mattered more to those serving abroad than getting letters from home, "mail was indispensable," one infantryman remembered.⁴ (Burns 2007). Servicemen felt that receiving mail attributed to their morale and success. Ken Burns goes on to describe the pivotal form through which love letters were passed through, and made possible during the war, the system known as "V-Mail."

Implemented in the spring of 1942 "the military began encouraging Americans to use V-mail"⁴ (Burns 2007), a simple but ingenious space-saving system devised by the British. Letters were addressed and written on a special one-sided form, sent to Washington, where they were opened and read by army censors who blacked out anything they thought might give useful information to the enemy, then photographed onto a reel of 16 mm microfilm. The reels each contained roughly 18,000 letters which were sent overseas to stations. Each letter was printed onto a sheet of photographic paper, put into an envelope, and sent out for delivery to the front lines. V-mail eased the delivery of letters in both directions, raising spirits both overseas and at home.⁴ (Burns 2007)

The post-war era of the mid-late 20th century was marked by renewed hope. Arguably, the end of World War II and the proliferation of love letters fed into the passionate boom of industrialization and economic development within America. Men and women, having been kept apart, only communicating via emotional letters, were now reunited and sought to live out their lives together.

As the 60s and 70s rolled by, society became seemingly more relaxed and less strict in traditional and religious values; freedom of expression was beginning to become socially acceptable. Famous and popular individuals influenced pop culture and changed the course of conversation. The imaginative and non-traditional expression of music and the peace movement shocked traditional culture in America. News publications and magazines started putting out material for the 'baby boomer generation, who had grown up hearing about the terrors of war from their parents and strongly opposed the Vietnam War. That being said, as America gradually became more progressive, it was still hostile towards many groups and ideals, as it always had been. Homosexuality was strongly discouraged and not yet socially acceptable in the mid-20th century. This led many who were homosexual to conduct their love aspirations in secret. Love letters were one of the methods that allowed for this.

A powerful example of this freedom is the following image of a collection of outer envelopes of letters exchanged between a same-sex couple. The imagery expresses their feelings and particularly their passions for one another. The website' queer, Spirituality' describes the relationship and the meaning behind the embedded messages on the envelopes. The unique images provide a visual narrative of what the women were studying at the time. Interestingly, portrayals of armadillos are seen throughout as both women liked that animal since their youth. It later became a metaphor for their relationship as the armadillo reflected their hard exteriors to battling homophobic comments.⁵ (Cherry 2022) As has been displayed, one can see how with progression in time and progression in society, communicating love and affection changes. Social justice advocacy that is present today dates back to the emotions of this time period. 

The hard-copy love letters of the wartime and post-war eras gave way to a new form of a love letter - a digital one. The early 21st century was marked by extraordinary technological advances. Changes in technology have affected the way people create and share love letters. The easy availability of email, instant messaging, and social media has made it easier for people to communicate with each other quickly and effectively. This has allowed individuals to create personal electronic messages that can be sent directly to their loved ones. The medium used to communicate may have changed, but the sentiment behind the words remains the same. In contrast to handwritten love letters, this method of transmission encourages content often to be streamlined, abbreviated, and cursory.⁶ (Knight 2023)

V-Mail is a stark contrast from what love letters look like today, as the invention of the internet and smartphones have completely and utterly changed love letters, love language, and how intimate relationships are conducted. Twenty years ago, couples may have broken up with one another before going to college, as maintaining a relationship apart was deemed infeasible. Now, however, couples often don't even think about ending a relationship due to distance, simply because video chat or Facetime on a convenient mobile device makes conversation easy and allows for one to feel like their significant other is present. 

This phenomenon, unimaginable to soldiers from WWII, can be seen playing out in this example from a CNN opinion piece. "Although meeting in person will always be essential, the concept of romance has evolved to the point where weeks of instant messaging or emailing can plant seeds of a relationship."⁷ (Hare 2013). The article cites a story of a 20-year-old named Cristina Lara, a college student, who used Skype and email to maintain her long-distance relationship with her boyfriend, Joshua Mbanusi, while he was working elsewhere. He had started the relationship electronically, emailing her at first. This was the new form of courtship. The virtual relationship morphed into a real-world one.

Despite the evidence that shows that love letters have been invaluable to the physical and mental health of millions, over several generations, some still may argue that they are a waste of time. Some may say words cannot be as expressive as face-to-face communication and cannot relay tone. Language can be unclear or misunderstood, and misinterpretation can have unexpected consequences. Particularly, during times of war, some may look back and say the letters were not all written by soldiers in their right minds as they were influenced by the ravages of war. Their letters were written through a lens of extreme pressure and unimaginable situations.

Overall, love letters have acted as an important window into intimate American life. These epistles serve as a great vehicle for understanding people's attitudes toward love, marriage, and courtship at various points in American history. By examining the words that couples wrote to each other and the tone of the correspondence, historians can gain insights into how Americans viewed relationships during specific eras and how relationships have evolved. Although the format of courtship and romance may have changed, the sentiments are no different from those of previous generations. Hard-copy, traditional love letters that are created today symbolize to the recipient that the person who constructed the letter cares deeply enough to go the extra mile. Love letters will always remain a fascinating part of our cultural heritage. 

Endnotes:

1: Ellis, Joseph J. “Dear John, Dear Abigail: A Love Story through Letters.” NPR. NPR, October 27, 2010. https://www.npr.org/2010/10/27/130862704/dear-john-dear-abigail-a-love-story-through-letters. 

2: “Letters Home.” HI Stories. Accessed May 4, 2022. https://histories.hoover.org/letters-home/.

3: Burnett, Stephanie. “D-Day Soldier's Letters to Wife Reveal Endurance of Love during War.” euronews, June 6, 2019. https://www.euronews.com/2019/06/06/d-day-soldier-s-letters-to-wife-reveal-endurance-of-love-during-war. 

4: “Communication: Letters & Diaries.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-war/communication-letters-diaries. 

5: “Lesbian Couple Reveals Love-Letter Postal Art from 1970s: Q Spirit Founder and Spouse Share Artistic Envelopes.” Qspirit.net. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://qspirit.net/lesbian-love-letter-postal-art/. 

6: Knight, Khale. “Internet Culture and Trends - KUS7 Global Trending News.” KUS7 Global Trending News - We inform you of the world's biggest headlines., May 1, 2023. https://kus7.com/2023/05/01/internet-culture-and-trends/. 

7: Hare, Breeanna. “How Technology Has Changed Romance | CNN Business.” CNN. Cable News Network, February 12, 2013. https://www.cnn.com/2013/02/12/tech/web/tech-romance-evolution/index.html. 

8: Cancian, Sonia. “Let's Write about Love... Rediscovering a Lost Art | Sonia Cancian | TEDxLausanne.” YouTube. YouTube, April 25, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNUgznlcg6g. 

9: Morris, Margie, Intel. “Love Letters Aren't over - They're Just Smarter, More Social.” Wired. Conde Nast, August 7, 2015. https://www.wired.com/insights/2014/02/digital-language-love/. 

Brown, DeNeen L. “History's Love Letters Provide Heartfelt Glimpses of the 'Devoted' and 'Besotted'.” The Washington Post. WP Company, February 13, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/historys-love-letters-provide-a-heartfelt-glimpses-of-the-devoted-and-besotted/2017/02/13/c81d8476-f212-11e6-8d72-263470bf0401_story.html. 

About the Author:

About the Author: William Medeiros, who goes by Will, has grown and lived less than 30 minutes outside of Boston for the past 20 years. He enjoyed playing sports throughout his childhood, participating in baseball, soccer, skiing and track through highschool. Will is the oldest of 3 children, having a sister two years younger, and a brother 4 years younger than him. His hobbies include cars, skiing, soccer, watching sports and hanging out with friends. Today, he is a Junior at Boston University and enjoys connecting with as many people on linkedin as possible.