The Mail that Made America: 250 Years of the U.S. Postal Service
The year 2026 is shaping up to be a big celebration of the Declaration of Independence. Why wait to celebrate? In 2025, we celebrate the anniversaries of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. But wait, there’s more! We need to unbox the U.S. Postal Service in 2025! Postmarked 1775 with who other than Benjamin Franklin at the helm, let’s explore this far-reaching, long-standing agency through records in the National Archives.
Rural mail carrier in Wisconsin, 1908
The “First” Agency?
Richard Fairbanks’ Tavern in Boston is considered the first American post office, established in 1639. While a tavern may seem like an odd setting, informal sites like inns and such collected and distributed mail in pre-Revolution America.
As colonial tensions mounted with the British, the sharing of information became all the more critical. By 1775, the Second Continental Congress recognized the importance of postal services and established a formal post office, appointing Benjamin Franklin the first postmaster general. Having been a postmaster in Philadelphia, Franklin significantly improved the system by establishing a more structured network for deliveries, even creating the first system of rates based on weight and distance.
Following independence, the Constitution formally enshrined a national postal service in Article I, Section 8, Clause 7, granting Congress the power “to establish Post Offices and post Roads.” The framers recognized the role of a centralized mail system in fostering unity among the new states.
Major changes occurred in 1792, when the first significant piece of postal legislation, the Postal Service Act, was passed. This law not only created a formal, national postal network, but also established a uniform rate for postage.
Before Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
Throughout the 19th century, the postal service expanded rapidly as the United States grew in population and scale. Until there was a widespread rail network, stagecoaches commonly delivered the mail.
The Pony Express, which only operated for 18 months, was a fast mail delivery service that spanned the American West from April 1860 to October 1861. Horseback mail carriers covered nearly 2,000 miles in 10 days, playing a crucial role in connecting the Eastern and Western U.S., especially during the Civil War. While short-lived, the Pony Express set the stage for more efficient transportation systems. The completion of the transcontinental railroad and, later the telegraph, eventually supplanted such services.
Home Sweet Home Delivery
Until the Civil War, the majority of mail was delivered to P.O. boxes to save on costs. Then, the Post Office Department authorized free home delivery in certain cities (where it was cost-effective) beginning in 1863. This innovation was incredibly successful, making correspondence simpler than ever.
For a few decades, home delivery was exclusively for city dwellers. In fact, the postal service since its inception mostly served urban centers. However, by 1890, 65% of Americans resided in rural areas and were in desperate need of better postal access.
Therefore, Postmaster General John Wanamaker put forth a plan for free rural delivery, or “RFD,” in 1891. The program first began as a pilot in West Virginia. After resounding success and popularity, it was made permanent nationwide in 1902. This initiative was run under the banner of RFD until full agency modernization in the 1970s.
Interestingly, parts of the District of Columbia were serviced by RFD until modernization despite it being more of an urban locale. This strange discrepancy is parodied by popular political cartoonist Clifford Kennedy Berryman in 1920.
In 1970, the U.S. Postal Service and its modern functions were established via the Postal Reorganization Act, signed by President Richard Nixon in August 1970.
Nixon and six former Postmasters General at the signing of the Postal Reorganization Act, 1970 (Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library and Museum)
The Post Office is not just significant for its long, storied history, but also for what it represents. From sharing the earliest pro-independence pamphlets to newspapers delivering wartime updates, the Post Office and what it delivers exemplify the indispensable nature of communication and the interconnectivity that defines our diverse democracy.
