PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — At 316 Market Street, visitors can still hear the rhythmic sound of hand-cancelled mail being stamped as they step inside a functioning post office that also serves as a living museum honoring Benjamin Franklin, the nation’s first postmaster general. Franklin, appointed in 1737, played a pivotal role in helping the colonies communicate during a turbulent era. “I think they know him for the inventions and diplomat, but they don’t realize him for this job,” one visitor said.
That job, historians say, was essential to the colonies’ survival. “They can’t rely on the British system anymore, so they turn to Franklin, and they chose him to be the postmaster general, and it is his job to make sure that the colonies can communicate with one another and the army is in touch with political leaders in Philadelphia,” a guide explained.
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