When the British government created the Internal Colonial Postal Union, our
nation’s first mail-delivery system, in 1693, few residents used it. At the time, colonists were more worried
about communicating with relatives in Europe than with each other. Most of the mail at that time was used for
official and commercial business.
That started to change, however, in the 1740s. By then, the idea of inter-colonial
communication started to become more important to residents, who had started to
resent British domination. It also
became a little easier thanks to Benjamin Franklin, who was put in charge of
the colonial post in 1737 by the British Crown.
By organizing weekly wagon deliveries between Philadelphia and Boston
and daily horseback relays, he cut delivery time between the cities in half.
Still, few “common” colonists mailed letters. According to the Smithsonian National Postal
Museum (postalmuseum.si.edu, the source of all this information), most American
colonists received an average of one letter a year. Despite the system being more efficient,
postage was still expensive--a luxury experienced primarily by the wealthy,
upper-class. What’s more, not everyone could read or
write. In the late 1700s, only about 55%
of women could read and write, and that number was high for one reason: mothers
were expected to raise their children based on Biblical teachings.
As we celebrate the anniversary of our country’s independence, we can also
celebrate how far our postal system has come.
And we can be thankful that sending your grandma a birthday card or your
grandson a graduation card is both reliable and affordable for all.
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