Two hundred and fifty years ago, Benjamin Franklin envisioned a postal system that would connect America like never before — efficient, secure and central to the Colonies’ bid for independence. While much has changed in those two and a half centuries, Franklin’s imprint on the U.S. Postal Service is still palpable, shaping a public service mission and commitment to innovation that endures to this day.
Franklin’s character shines through in his journey to becoming our first postmaster general. After serving 11 years in England as one of the Colonies’ most vocal and effective advocates, Franklin arrived in Philadelphia in May 1775, after a six-week voyage to discover his country was at war with Britain. Added to that, he found himself a principal player in the rebel Congress, which had already convened in that very city.
Without hesitation, Franklin accepted this heavy responsibility and immediately set upon plans to aid the newly formed Continental Army. Franklin was the right person, in the right place, at the right time. A seasoned postmaster of Philadelphia for the British government’s Crown Post and its deputy postmaster general from 1753 to 1774, Franklin understood that in an era where military orders were conveyed by word of mouth or letter, speedy communications between the Colonies’ leaders and their generals through a secure post service would be the difference between success and failure.
A skilled diplomat, he was able to quickly build consensus on all the major issues at hand, including his plans to turn the existing Colonial postal system into an essential communications tool for Congress and its armies. He understood the value of a reliable and efficient postal network, having proved that as the architect of a route and delivery redesign that turned the Crown Post from an inefficient money-losing enterprise into a profit center.
His experience and stature in the independence movement made him the logical choice to become the first postmaster general of this new post service and on July 26, 1775, the Second Continental Congress made the appointment official. Under his guidance, the foundation of today’s USPS was created, with a focus on efficiency and trust.
The war effort would require more of Franklin and in November 1776, he handed the reins of the new postal service to his son-in-law, Richard Bache, so that he could secure French support for the revolution. And while Franklin’s tenure as our first postmaster general might have been short, his legacy is lasting, and his vision of a reliable, innovative and efficient postal service still shapes our operations every day.
Stephen Kochersperger
Historian & Corporate Information Services Manager
