These literacy rates varied across different demographic groups and regions. Notably, the literacy rate for white populations was higher than that for African Americans and other minority groups. The literacy rate for the white population in 1900 was approximately 98%, while the literacy rate for African Americans was estimated to be around 48%. Factors such as access to education, economic opportunities, and discrimination contributed to these disparities. Furthermore, there were also considerable regional variations in literacy rates, with higher literacy rates typically found in the northern and western regions of the United States compared to the southern states.