On July 26, 1775, the U.S. postal system was established by the
Second Continental Congress, with Benjamin Franklin (above)
as its first postmaster general.
Franklin (1706-1790) put in place the foundation for many
aspects of today’s mail system.
As commerce and communication flowed through the mail and
the colonial postal system rapidly expanded, postal roads
became more dangerous.
On August 7, 1775, just weeks after his appointment, Franklin
appointed Providence, RI, Postmaster William Goddard (below)
as the first “surveyor” of the new system.
As of March 29, 2024, the USPS has 525,377 career employees
and 114,623 pre-career employees.
William Goddard (1740 – 1817)
