Consider the 1800s, where much of our understanding of the attitudes of the day comes from newspapers and archived letters. Then consider how many more were dis

Consider the 1800s, where much of our understanding of the attitudes of the day comes from newspapers and archived letters. Then consider how many more were discarded once they had served their purpose. Don't you think the world would be a somewhat better place if we had more records, and therefore more understanding, of what people thought in these times? Also consider the class implications here. Letter-writing (and archiving) was something more often practiced by folks who were "elite" in terms of wealth and/or education. The thoughts and opinions of these classes have disproportionate representation in our understanding, and those of people in lower classes are underrepresented or erased entirely.