Post Office In The 1840s

According to a Case Study-United States Postal Service (Jan 06, 2010), retrieved from: http://www.slideshare.net/bakeursilly/usps; since 1175 when Benjamin Franklin was appointed as the first postmaster general of the United States, the agency known as the United States Postal Service (USPS) has grown to become an institution that delivers about half of the world’s mail in snow, rain, and the dark of the night. Employing about 656,000 workers and 218,684 vehicles, 36,496 total retail and delivery facilities nationwide, 599 processing facilities, 584 million pieces is the average volume per day, and a total work hour of 1,258,025 per year delivering over 200 billion items per year via air and highway.

The Post Office Department known as the United States Postal Services (USPS) (Annual Report, 2009) today, is a dominate player in the mail delivery arena and has been existence since 1776. The Post Office was originally a governmental agency, but due to mismanagement by Congress, was reorganized in 1971 and no longer a part of the presidential cabinet; but became an independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government. To date, the USPS maintains a monopoly on the day-to-day delivery of mail but competitors do share the market on some of the other types of deliveries; shares the market on some of the other types of deliveries (i.e. express

Life in the 1840’s was very busy for men, women, and children alike. Everyone in the states had to contribute their fair share of work, and had little time for leisure. America was a new country, the colonies had expanded to 26 states, and it was a hectic time for westward expansion. At this time, most immigrants lived a rural lifestyle on small family farms. There were few people wealthy enough to own plantations, which were run by mostly slaves who received no pay, harsh treatment, and had no chance of escape. Tensions were high between the slaves and the immigrants, and the Civil War would be occurring soon. While men did all of the hard labor, such as farming and hunting,

Especially in urban cities buzzing with the latest technology, many would agree that, “you don’t need a full-service post office every few blocks in New York, for example” (Source A). In addition, I spend every summer with my dad in Chicago, and because there is a USPS post office right around the corner of our apartment building, I have noticed from passing it every day that it is the one store on State Street that is empty 90 percent of the time. In my experience, Postmaster General John Potter is correct in wanting to “close and consolidate 154 post offices”, significantly reducing operating costs and employment. Strategy is key; by shutting down the offices with the lowest production and necessity, USPS will no longer be uselessly spending money.

America’s transportation revolution that took place during the first half of the 1800s helped to revolutionalize their transport system immensely. As a result of improved transport farmers who used to just grow enough for survival started producing more and more crops so that they could sell them and make profits. There was cheaper and faster transport available which could get goods quickly to the market. Railroads, which used to carry only passengers, started being used as a means also to carry manufactured goods and farm products. Invention of the steamboat brought two-way transportation into the picture. There were flat boats which were more spacious for the supplies and storage. They were also considered above river rafts (which used to

Between 1835 and 1860, the social and economic models of the North and the South clearly collided. The North, linked to the Republicans, opposed the southern slave system and its plantation economic system, considering it antiquated. The South, on the other hand, defended its interests. The economic issue is very important to understand the disagreements between the North and the South. The southern economic model of plantation needed free trade policies to be able to sell cotton easily with the growth of European textile industrial demand. For its part, the North needed to defend its industrial products from British competition. But, in addition, there are other more complex economic issues in the relations between the North and the South.

The period between 1820 and 1840 was a highly changing period for politics in the United States. The passing of the Federalist Party ended the two party system that also included the Democratic Republicans. The Era of Good Feelings was ushered in and campaigns and elections hereon out were changed drastically. Campaigns, running mates, and an increase in suffrage especially transformed the elections in 1824, 1828, 1832, 1836, and 1840.

The market and transportation revolution in the 19th century, subsequently caused huge changes in the economic, social, and independent markets in the United states. The market revolution boom, largely attributable to better technologies, excelling the growth of factories and mass productions. The transportation revolution was a byproduct of the expanding of railroads, canals, and shipping of the products. Of which opened an entirely new way to sell and purchase products, crops, and other goods with more than just small town communities.

Confederate postage was then no longer accepted by the Northern postal services, and if received was to be forwarded to the Dead Letter Office to be returned to senders (Nation Divided). To overcome this issue, the southern states created their own postal service. John H. Reagan became their postmaster general and changed 8,535 of the United States’ 28,586 post offices to confederate leadership (Confederate Postal System). He tried to employ southern supporters from the U.S. Post Office so they could bring maps, reports, forms and plans that could help jumpstart the new postal service (Confederate Postal System). Beginning using U.S. money and postage, they soon ran into more problems as result to North attempting to even further punish the South for seceding.

During the 1800's America was figuring out how to run a nation through trial and error. During this period of time America faced hardships with foreign powers and with in its self, but the sweet victories made them all worth it. In the 1800's America learned to stand on its own, and became the strong nation it is today.

What would Americans do if they couldn’t travel anywhere on roads? How would goods be transferred to the United States from other countries without canals? These are the questions that many U.S. citizens were asking themselves in the early 1800s. Towards the end of the 1700s transportation needs in the U.S. were extreme. The federal and state governments were directing more attention to this need for the country and were quick to come up with a solution. Henry Clay, who was a member of the United States House of Representatives, came up with the genius idea of the American System including the construction of canals and railroads. This would soon be the most important influence on the growth of Industry in America, especially with the National

b) Regular mail only cost 32 cents for letters. The post office is also very convenient. However, in regards to packages, the post office is very poor in quality service and efficiency (cannot track packages efficiently and has an on-time delivery record much worse than commercial carriers)

With the rise of technology through the 21st century, it came with many of its own problems; a majority of America’s population had owned and driven cars. Of course, they came with the risks of getting into an accident that could injure and kill individuals. Those same dangers existed in the 19th century, when people were taking trains to every of their destinations. In the narrative, the whole of Chicago including the world renowned architects of the World’s Fair travel through the train systems. The trains were the main method of transportation to the World’s Fair as it brought them right to the front to capture the breathtaking sight of the architectural art.

Professors Bergland’s main point about the 1880-1920’s was the fascination and exploration with nature and death. In the poems that Professor Bergland showed us, Emily Dickson wrote about nature and her thoughts on how nature affected the world and science. My understand of the period from 1880 to1920 was that education was not mandatory for females. When females attended college, they were taught science and math because it did not have a role in society. Males on the other hand learned literature and politics because they would go on to graduate and have an active and high role in society. At the college Dickson attended, Mount Holyoke, religion was heavily stressed. Not many females finished college, majority dropped out before entering

It fascinates me how the human mind has developed from the beginning of time, till now. I mean technology itself has transformed the word. New inventions are created each day, improving machines, and almost everything. Throughout history people have created things that have made life easier. Transportation has always been very important. It has been a huge part of history. Of course like every other resource it had its pros and cons. Automobiles, airplanes, boats, and trains during the 1800s were all being invented.