Why do Americans spell words like "theatre" with "er" instead of "re" at the end?

@Gumba1000 I don't think it's illiteracy. Those spellings are accepted as correct even though it's not the conventional British way.

@BijouPleasurette I was meaning the original people that settled USA. They changed many spellings in the early years to make things easier to spell, because the settlers, couldn't. Gaol to jail for example.

@Gumba1000 Jail predates the American colonies by hundreds of years

@ninalanyon The "jail" spelling was 1600s. Singular century. Previously it was "jaile" and other spellings. Not to be confused with the other etymology route of "gaol". Regardless the sentiment is the same, USA simplified spellings to help the illiterate.

@Gumba1000 Even if you nitpick about the final e it still predates the US by well over a century.

@ninalanyon It is you that was nitpicking. If you weren't nitpicking, you'd have noticed the other information.