How the Post Office Created America: A History
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

On the advice of the American colonies' first postmaster general, Benjamin Franklin, in 1792 the inaugural United States Congress passed the Post Office Act, establishing the newborn country's first mail-delivery system. Yet, according to versatile nonfiction writer and journalist Gallagher (New, 2012) in this well-researched history of the U.S. Postal Service, the founding fathers' primary aim was simple and lofty: to ensure Democracy by making certain the citizenry stayed informed with a daily newspaper. As the American population grew and spread to the western territories, the demand rose for the delivery of other materials, from letters and packages to crates of mining tools and furniture. Inevitably, expanding delivery routes into undeveloped regions proved challenging, which spurred companies like Wells Fargo to compete with government carriers. Along with offering other fascinating tidbits about the USPS' growing pains, from the Civil War through WWII and beyond, Gallagher compellingly argues that mail delivery played a vital role in creating American unity via interpersonal communication and points a way forward to a postal service that can remain relevant even in the Internet age.--Hays, Carl Copyright 2016 Booklist

The post office may not have actually "created" America, but journalist Gallagher (New: Understanding Our Need for Novelty and Change) makes a strong case for its historical importance in this brisk history. Forging early links among the colonies and then uniting the nation and its frontier as settlers moved west, the post office has by necessity survived by modernizing and developing in parallel with the nation. The institution single-mindedly pursued more efficient systems of delivery for generations, though it struggled with the demands of independent contractors-whether stagecoach operators or airlines-and opportunistic competitors that were able to adapt faster than the federal bureaucracy. The 1970 transformation of the Post Office Department into the U.S. Postal Service, a business run by the government, was meant to ameliorate these problems. But, as Gallagher explains, this shift in emphasis from innovation to the bottom line may have doomed the post office as it entered the digital age. Despite its waning relevance, Gallagher still sees the post office as a pride-inducing institution. Socially progressive since its inception, the post office represents one of the purest distillations of America and takes on one of modern democracy's most necessary (and tedious) tasks: the convenient distribution of information and ideas to every American with a mailbox. Agent: Kristine Dahl, ICM. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

A history of the United States postal system, which George Washington believed would "tranquilize" the country's restless citizenry.In 1792, the new nation's Congress passed the Post Office Act, giving citizens access to mail service. As Gallagher (New: Understanding Our Need for Novelty and Change, 2011, etc.) makes clear in this well-researched history, the law did not make such service "a basic right, like freedom of speech or religion," but merely stipulated that the government would meet citizens' demands. Benjamin Rush and James Madison believed postal service essential to "ensure democracyeducate the people, and change society." With newspapers dominating mail, keeping citizens informed was a major function. From the beginning, though, postal service was undermined by bad roads and high costs for postage. Independent delivery services arose, undercutting the government's rates and providing quicker, more reliable service by its own couriers. As the nation expanded westward, these competitors vied to meet the needs of Californians, who demanded "a reputable, regularly scheduled, twice-weekly stagecoach service that would carry both mail and travelers." The short-lived Pony Express, and later Wells and Fargo, offered delivery through treacherous territory. Gallagher cites a Pony Express ad: "Wanted: Young, skinny fellows not over 18. Must be expert riders willing to risk death daily. Orphans preferred." During the Civil War, the South scrambled to set up its own postal service, including issuing stamps. One enslaved man "successfully mailed himself to freedom inside a wooden crate" that was delivered to Philadelphia abolitionists. Gallagher traces the way a burgeoning postal service created a market for pens, stationery, and other letter-writing accouterments. The United States Postal Service was created in 1970, transforming a government agency into a government-owned corporation. The author regrets Congress' "dysfunctional relationship" with the USPS and suggests ways to modernize "the world's most productive postal system." The future of the post, Gallagher argues in this readable, straightforward history, depends on citizens' awareness of its history. For a somewhat livelier, personality-driven account of the USPS, see Devin Leonard's Neither Snow nor Rain (2016). Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

On the advice of the American colonies' first postmaster general, Benjamin Franklin, in 1792 the inaugural United States Congress passed the Post Office Act, establishing the newborn country's first mail-delivery system. Yet, according to versatile nonfiction writer and journalist Gallagher (New, 2012) in this well-researched history of the U.S. Postal Service, the founding fathers' primary aim was simple and lofty: to "ensure Democracy" by making certain the citizenry stayed informed with a daily newspaper. As the American population grew and spread to the western territories, the demand rose for the delivery of other materials, from letters and packages to crates of mining tools and furniture. Inevitably, expanding delivery routes into undeveloped regions proved challenging, which spurred companies like Wells Fargo to compete with government carriers. Along with offering other fascinating tidbits about the USPS' growing pains, from the Civil War through WWII and beyond, Gallagher compellingly argues that mail delivery played a vital role in creating American unity via interpersonal communication and points a way forward to a postal service that can remain relevant even in the Internet age. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

Gallagher, who has written well-received books blending science and cultural study (e.g., Just the Way You Are), does something different here, offering a thoroughgoing study of the U.S. Post Office that argues for its important role in the country's formation. For instance, Benjamin Franklin was the Crown's first postmaster general, a position long part of the cabinet, and women and African Americans participated in democracy in significant ways through the post office. Originally scheduled for July but bumped up to June.

This fascinating narrative history of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) describes the political and technological challenges the agency faced while trying to deliver mail to an expanding nation. Gallagher (New: Understanding Our Need for Novelty and Change) shows that throughout its history, factors such as a dependence on congressional budgets and both executive-branch action and inaction along with a cumbersome patronage system have kept the USPS from fully controlling its own services. The agency frequently attempted to use technological innovation, including vast rail, road, and air systems, to deliver communications quickly and efficiently. Resistance from the private sector prevented or delayed many improvements such as attempts to integrate telegraphy and computerization or the establishment of postal savings banks. These frustrations lasted throughout the 20th century. Despite setbacks, the system continued to update with the times, although never as rapidly as critics would have liked. Gallagher contends that criticism should often be directed at those outside the USPS. VERDICT This readable book relays the complicated history of an institution that is thoroughly integrated into American life; in this sense it is superior to Devin Leonard's Neither Snow Nor Rain [reviewed below]. Highly recommended for public libraries and general readers. [See Prepub Alert, 1/25/15.]—Charles K. Piehl, Minnesota State Univ., Mankato

The post office may not have actually "created" America, but journalist Gallagher (New: Understanding Our Need for Novelty and Change) makes a strong case for its historical importance in this brisk history. Forging early links among the colonies and then uniting the nation and its frontier as settlers moved west, the post office has by necessity survived by modernizing and developing in parallel with the nation. The institution single-mindedly pursued more efficient systems of delivery for generations, though it struggled with the demands of independent contractors—whether stagecoach operators or airlines—and opportunistic competitors that were able to adapt faster than the federal bureaucracy. The 1970 transformation of the Post Office Department into the U.S. Postal Service, a business run by the government, was meant to ameliorate these problems. But, as Gallagher explains, this shift in emphasis from innovation to the bottom line may have doomed the post office as it entered the digital age. Despite its waning relevance, Gallagher still sees the post office as a pride-inducing institution. Socially progressive since its inception, the post office represents one of the purest distillations of America and takes on one of modern democracy's most necessary (and tedious) tasks: the convenient distribution of information and ideas to every American with a mailbox. Agent: Kristine Dahl, ICM. (July)