Most 13-year olds in the 19th century (including Andrew Carnegie and Thomas Edison, both telegraph boys in their youth) had literally no schoolwork. High school

Most 13-year olds in the 19th century (including Andrew Carnegie and Thomas Edison, both telegraph boys in their youth) had literally no schoolwork. High school wasn't a common thing then and most people only went to grade school to learn how to read and write and do basic math. Carnegie went to grade school in Scotland before his family moved to America, and Edison was only given a basic home school education by his mother. I'm not saying that was good, but comparing 13-year olds then and today is hard. 13-year olds then were basically already adults.