Happy Birthday, U.S. Postal Service!

Happy Birthday, U.S. Postal Service!
By Chuck Mulidore
NAPS Executive Vice President

As leaders reflect on the viability of the 21st century U.S. Postal Service, it is important to look back at the history of this essential organization. We know the past often is prologue and those who do not appreciate history often are doomed by it. So, in that vein, let us first wish the Postal Service, founded in July 1775, a happy 250th birthday!

In the fight for American independence, the Founding Fathers recognized that communication was more than a convenience; it was essential for unity, defense and governance. One of the most enduring legacies of the early republic was establishment of the United States Post Office—an institution born amid revolution, yet destined to help weave the fabric of the nation.

Before the Colonies declared independence, mail service was primarily controlled by the British Crown through the Royal Mail system. Colonists grew wary of the British using the mail for surveillance and censorship, especially as revolutionary sentiment spread.

In response, patriot leaders developed alternative systems—often informal, rider-based networks—to securely transmit correspondence between colonial committees and military leaders. The need for a more formal structure became undeniable as war loomed.

On July 26, 1775, during the Second Continental Congress, delegates appointed Benjamin Franklin the first Postmaster General of what would become the United States Post Office. Franklin had served as Postmaster General for the American Colonies under British authority and had vastly improved the mail routes and delivery efficiency.

Under Franklin’s guidance, the newly created Continental Post quickly grew from a wartime necessity into a critical, national institution. The system provided a secure channel for dispatches among Congress, the Continental Army and local governments. Its reliability bolstered coordination during the Revolutionary War and helped unify the colonies into a functioning confederation.

Importantly, the Continental Congress saw the postal system not just as a military asset, but as a democratic tool—ensuring that ideas, news and laws could move freely between far-flung communities. Thus, after the Revolutionary War, the postal system remained an essential thread in the fabric of the young nation.

In 1792, Congress passed the Post Office Act, officially establishing the United States Post Office Department as a permanent part of the federal government. This act protected the privacy of personal correspondence and gave newspapers low postal rates—encouraging the flow of information and reinforcing the role of an informed citizenry in a democratic society.

The act proved to be an early and deliberate investment in infrastructure, as well. New roads and routes were created to expand service into the western territories. The Post Office quickly became the largest civilian department of the federal government and one of its most trusted—a tradition that has endured to this day.

Today’s postal supervisors, managers and postmasters are stewards of a legacy that stretches back to Franklin’s bold vision and the constitutional commitment to “establish Post Offices and post Roads.” As leaders in the Postal Service, you ensure that the values that inspired its founding—efficiency, public trust and national unity—continue to guide postal operations in the modern age. Although technology has vastly changed how we communicate, the United States Postal Service remains a symbol of reliable, universal service, from delivering critical medications to keeping rural communities connected. The Postal Service embodies a public promise made in 1775—to serve all Americans, no matter who they are or where they live.

This mandate of universal service must remain a core principle of the U.S. Postal Service, never to be sacrificed—not now or in the future, regardless of political pressures from short-sighted politicians.

The founding of the United States Post Office was not just a response to the needs of war—it was a forward-looking act of nation-building. It laid the foundation for American governance, commerce and community and became one of the earliest expressions of the role of the federal government in service to the American people.

It is no less important today, even as leaders debate privatizing the Postal Service—denigrating the earned benefits that are a hallmark of postal commitment to its employees—and discuss the value of a postal system in the modern age. As postal supervisors, managers, postmasters and NAPS members, you uphold that history every, single day, leading a workforce that touches every home, business and life across this vast and great country. You are the modern face of an institution born in revolution that matured into a cornerstone of American democracy.

Happy birthday, U.S. Postal Service! Long may you endure as a beaon of unity, service and commitment to this great experiment in democracy—the United States of America.