Daily AncestorLiteracy test
The literacy test, required by the Immigration Act of 1917, barred most immigrants over 16 who could not show they were able to read in some language.
Congress passed literacy bills several times from the 1890s, and presidents vetoed them, until the Immigration Act of 1917 made the test law. Immigrants over 16 had to show basic reading in any language, and passenger lists from 1917 also ask in what language the person could read.
An inspector who doubted an arrival could send him to be tested. Numbered slips carried short instructions in each language, with a matching English slip, so the inspector could see whether the person followed them. The manifest may carry the slip number. A number alone usually means a pass, while "cannot read" marks a failure that could lead to a special inquiry hearing.
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Daily Ancestor. "Literacy test." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/immigration/literacy-test. Last checked 2026-10-12.