History of the US
Post Office for kids
Before the establishment of the US Post Office letters
were carried by friends, merchants or Native American Indians to
their place of destination. In 1639 a tavern in Boston owned by
Richard Fairbanks was named as a repository for overseas mail.
US
Post Office for kids - Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) played a Important role in
the establishment of the US Post Office. Benjamin Franklin had been
appointed by the English as the Joint Postmaster General for the
Crown in 1753. During this time he successfully established new
postal routes and directed the erection of sandstone mile markers
(called Franklin Markers). The mile markers were stone tablets
(milestones) set up on a roadside to indicate the distance in miles
to or from a place. The surveys he conducted resulted in a faster
mail service and the milestones provided confidence in all those who
traveled along the roads. On July 26, 1775, Benjamin Franklin was
appointed Postmaster General, by the Continental Congress. The
organization was called the Post Office Department. It was the
predecessor of the United States Postal Service.
US
Post Office for kids - Postmaster General
Within a year Ben Franklin was appointed Commissioner
to France and his son-in-law, Richard Bache, assumed the role of
Postmaster General. Ebenezer Hazard (1744–1817) then became US
Postmaster General, serving from 1782 to 1789. Samuel Osgood
(1747-1813) then held the postmaster general's position in New York
City from 1789, when the U.S. Constitution came into effect, until
the government moved to Philadelphia in 1791. At this time there
were approximately 75 post offices and about 2,000 miles of post
roads. Timothy Pickering (1745-1829) took over in 1791.
US
Post Office for kids - 1792 Postal Service Act
The Postal Service Act signed into law by President
George Washington on February 20, 1792. This was the law that
established the United States Post Office Department. It gave the
role of Postmaster General greater powers, unified its organization
and provided rules and regulations for its development. Under the
1792 Postal Service Act, newspapers were allowed to be carried by
the service at low rates in order to promote the spread of
information across the states and improve communication in the new
nation. To promote confidence in the service postal officials were
forbidden to open any letters unless they were undeliverable. Also
under the Postal Service Act Congress assumed responsibility for the
creation of postal routes. The objective of this was to ensure that
mail routes would not only only serving existing communities but
expand and develop across the new nation.
US
Post Office Notable Events - Postage Stamps and the Pony Express
The mail routes did expand. The first postage stamps
were introduced on July 1, 1847, before this time
post masters marked how much postage was paid by
hand in the upper right corner of the post. The
amount of postage charged was based upon how many
sheets were being delivered. The
Pony Express
started on April 3, 1860. The Post Office continued
to expand with the advent of new forms of
transportation from the railroad to cars and to an
airmail service.
Post Office - President George Washington Video
The article on the
Post Office provides an overview of one of the Important
of one of the Important institutions established during
the presidency of George Washington. The following video will give you additional important facts, history and dates about the political events experienced by the 1st
American President whose presidency spanned from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797.
US Post Office
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Interesting Facts about the
Post Office for kids and schools
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US
Post Office for kids
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US
Post Office, one of the Important
events of the era
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George Washington Presidency from April 30, 1789 to March 4, 1797
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Fast, fun,
interesting facts about the US Post Office
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Foreign & Domestic
policies of President George Washington
● George Washington Presidency and
the US Post Office for schools,
homework, kids and children |
