Darrin Getz, age 9, of Narvon, Pa., for his question:
WHEN WAS THE FIRST POSTAGE STAMP USED?
Before we had postage stamps, a fee for a letter was collected from the person receiving it instead of from the person. who sent it. This was often troublesome because it wasn't uncommon for letters to be refused since the rate was often higher than the receiver was willing to pay.
Sir Rowland Hill in England was the first to propose charging the same fee for all letters sent and received in his country, rather than to have a fluctuating rate. His plan called for the payment by sender and the use of stamps to show fees were paid. The year of the world's first postage stamp was 1840. Private posts had been in operation since the 1600s.
Sir Hill's postage stamp idea was so successful that other countries were quick to establish similar systems.
Delivery of mail was a cumbersome affair in the olden days. In 1657 Virginia passed a law requiring every planter to provide a messenger to carry dispatches as they arrived to the next plantation and so on until the mail reached its destination.
Just after the Revolutionary War broke out, Benjamin Franklin was named first postmaster general of the
Continental Congress. In 1789 the service was placed under the Treasury Department, and it gained Cabinet status under President Andrew Jackson.
The Canadian Post Office Department was created in 1867, at the time of Confederation.
Pony Express was an important part of the U.S. postage system. This delivery by horse ran between Missouri, where the railroad ended, and California. It was used in 1860 and 1861 and cut delivery time by stagecoach in half. The service was given up when the telegraph went into operation.
During World War I, special mail at higher rates was transported in fast Army airplanes. It was the start of airmail service. By 1926 it proved to be so popular that its transport was turned over to private companies. Now most first class mail is moved by airlines as part of a plan to speed up the entire service.
By 1900 stamp collecting became one of the most popular of all pastimes. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was an avid collector. King George V of England was also a booster of the hobby, saying that an hour or two with his stamps relieved and refreshed his mind. His collection was continued by George VI and is now being carried on by Queen Elizabeth II.