CONTENTS COLONIAL POSTAL SERVICE 4 THE CONSTITUTIONAL POST 6 THE RISE OF THE STAGECOACH 8 NEW DELIVERY METHODS 10 MAIL DELIVERY IN CITIES 14 RURAL FREE DELIVERY 16 DEVELOPMENTS IN THE 20TH CENTURY 18 MODERN MAIL 22 GLOSSARY 23 INDEX 24 WEBSITES 24
COLONIAL POSTAL SERVICE Today many people think of the postal service as snail mail meaning it takes longer to receive actual mail than an e-mail or a text message Although this may be true the U S Postal Service plays a very important role in keeping the country and the world connected During the early years of the British colonies in North America there wasn’t a true postal service Many people who wished to send mail had to ask their friends or often a complete stranger such as a merchant to deliver it In 1639 colonial leaders started creating post offices in taverns and other locations 4
PRESENT DAY BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS The first post office in the British colonies in North America was the Fairbanks Tavern in Boston Massachusetts 5
