History of the United States Postal Service

The Postal Service is one of the oldest government agencies of America, pre-dating even the Constitution and therefore the foundation of the United States. And yet, it receives no public funding and must be self-sufficient.

Founding Father/Postmaster

In 1775, the Continental Congress appoints Benjamin Franklin as the first postmaster general, making him and his agency, the United States Postal Office, the forerunner of the United States Postal Service (USPS).

The Constitution

Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1787, empowers the government "to establish post offices and post roads." For many years, the postmaster general was a Cabinet member.

Horse-Powered Mail Delivery

The Pony Express is founded in 1860, when it began delivery runs from Missouri to Sacramento, California. Although the Pony Express was started by Wells Fargo, the trademark now belongs to the U.S. Postal Service.

Down Home and Up in the Air

1896 saw the implementation of free mail delivery in rural areas, while 1918 saw the beginning of the Postal Service's air mail runs.

The ZIP Code

The ZIP code was introduced in 1963. Twenty years later, the Postal Service expanded it to the ZIP + 4 format.

Independence and Posterity

In 1982, the USPS stopped accepting public subsidies and became a self-supporting agency. 1993 saw the opening of the National Postal Museum, located adjacent to Union Station in Washington, D.C.

References

• USPS Timeline

Resources

• National Postal Museum