United States of America

A Revolutionary Idea

The American postal system was born of revolution. On July 26, 1775, about three months after the first clash between American colonists and British soldiers in Massachusetts, colonial leaders established a postal system that was seen as crucial to the war effort. It allowed for rapid communication between Congress and the Continental Army, with messages delivered within days rather than the months the British needed to communicate with London.

First Postmaster General

As soon as the new postal system was established, members of the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin the first American Postmaster General at a meeting in Philadelphia.

Our Founding Fathers knew that a robust, reliable, and secure means of exchanging information was critical to unify the distant parts of our nation—and to maintain unity once we achieved independence.

First Woman Postmaster

Women postmasters were the first women managers in the federal government. Mary Katherine Goddard was the first known woman postmaster in the United Colonies, the precursor of the United States. She served as postmaster of Baltimore, MD, from 1775 to 1789. During the Revolutionary War, mail service was so important that for several years, Goddard kept the Post Office open by paying the post rider out of her own pocket. In addition to serving as postmaster, she was a printer and ran a book shop and book bindery. She was also the first person to print the Declaration of Independence with the names of the signers.