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Postal Act of 1792
“The Congress shall have Power…
To establish Post Offices and post Roads"
~ Article I, Section 8, Clause 7: U.S. Consitution, 1788
One of several vintage and newer tartans to be featured this year during the 250th anniversary celebrations of the United States.
On February 20, 1792, President George Washington signed the Post Office Act into law, transforming America’s wartime mail system into a permanent national institution. Rooted in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution — which grants Congress the power “to establish Post Offices and post Roads” — the Act made communication a constitutional responsibility of the federal government. Its impact on democracy was profound: it protected the privacy of personal correspondence, guaranteed the regular flow of information across state lines, dramatically expanded postal roads into rural communities, and subsidized the widespread circulation of newspapers so citizens could stay informed about public affairs. In a young republic wary of centralized power, the postal system became a unifying civic infrastructure — binding distant states together through reliable, protected communication.
The U.S. Post Office Tartan honors that woven network of roads, letters, and ideas that helped secure informed self-government in the early United States. ❤️ 🤍 💙 🇺🇸 ✉️ ✉️ ✉️
The history of the United States Post Office begins well before the American Revolution.
In the early 1600s, colonists relied on informal methods to send letters. Friends, merchants, ship captains, and travelers carried correspondence between towns and across the Atlantic. There was no centralized system, and delivery was slow and uncertain.
In 1692, the British Crown granted Thomas Neale a patent to establish a postal system in the American colonies. This created a more organized network connecting major settlements along the East Coast. By the early 1700s, post roads linked cities such as Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
In 1737, Benjamin Franklin was appointed postmaster of Philadelphia. In 1753, he became joint Postmaster General for the colonies. Franklin reorganized routes, improved accounting systems, and reduced delivery times. His reforms made the colonial postal system far more efficient and financially stable.
As tensions with Britain increased, communication became politically important. On July 26, 1775, the Continental Congress established an independent American postal system and appointed Benjamin Franklin as the first Postmaster General under American authority. This action ensured that correspondence among the colonies would not rely on British-controlled mail.
The Revolutionary postal system helped unify the colonies. It carried military intelligence, government communications, and newspapers that spread revolutionary ideas. In many ways, the post became a tool of independence.
When the Constitution was drafted in 1787, the founders made the postal system a permanent federal responsibility. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress the power “To establish Post Offices and post Roads.” This clause recognized that communication infrastructure was essential for commerce, governance, and national unity.
The system was formally structured under the Postal Service Act of 1792, signed by President George Washington on February 20, 1792. This landmark law established detailed postal rates, expanded post roads, and placed the system firmly under federal authority.
The Act also protected the privacy of mail and set low postage rates for newspapers. Printers were allowed to exchange newspapers with one another at minimal cost, encouraging the wide circulation of political information. This policy supported freedom of the press and democratic participation in ways that were unusual for the time.
By the end of the 18th century, the United States Post Office had become one of the largest civilian institutions in the new republic. Long before railroads or telegraphs, it connected distant communities, supported westward expansion, and strengthened the foundations of American democracy.
For a graphic list of the oldest post offices in each state of the US, click the vintage WW II letters.