Postal Service: History and Impact

Originating as early as 2,000 B.C., the very first traces of mail was found to be traced back to Ancient Egypt. From there, the practice of postal services significantly contributed to the expansions of some of the largest empires in the history of the world. This includes the Greeks, Persians, Egyptians and Chinese. The Romans however, truly changed the trajectory of postal operations. It was the most highly developed postal service in the world at the time. They had the ability to cover more than 170 miles in a day and night. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the technology and organization were adopted by other empires and civilizations. 

During the 15th century, Gutenburg's printing press helped with the expansion of education and literacy rates, specifically across Europe. The more people that were literate, the more people wanted to communicate outside of their neighborhoods and villages, thus turning to the postal service. This demand made letter carrying a very profitable business. It created private undertakings, some of the most famous being in Switzerland, Austria and Milan. By the 16th century, postal service covered most of Europe. More than 20,000 couriers incorporated into a relay system to maximize efficiency and profitability. Then, no nation had a comprehensive government postal system. France and Britain were the first to introduce a comprehensive government system. 

In 1874, the Treaty of Bern unified the international postal system. This helped to tear down barriers that
were preventing free flow of growth of international mail. In 1911, the first air mail was delivered, and in 1929 the first small packet mail was delivered. By 1948, the Universal Postal Union became a specialized agency of the United Nations. 

The United States Postal Service has specifically played a key role in transforming and expanding the nation. Ben Franklin used his experience from overseeing Britain's mail service to create an efficiently operational communicative system between the thirteen colonies. This greatly aided the United States to thrive independently from Great Britain.  In 1775, the first postmaster general was appointed by Ben Franklin, and the Post Office was official created with the passage of the Postal Service Act in 1792. Mail was delivered by cars, trains, horseback, sleds, and steamships in order to connect states and territories, even rural ones. 

During the Civil War, confederacy mail operations were suspended, and money was instead used to upgrade the Union's mail system. This led to the expansion of the Railway Mail Service, connecting even more Americans than ever. It began delivering the first money orders and began deliveries to urban residences. The United States Postal Service was the first major institution to employ large numbers of women and African American individuals. At a time of incredible division, this effort empowered marginalized groups. In 1911, the postal savings system was introduced; allowing many people without access to banks to keep their money securely with a federal institution. World War II challenged the postal service's strength by doubling the demand over a few short years. 

Focusing on the United States Postal Service, there have been many advantages that have boosted our country's success. There have also been a few cons of this form of communication. Mail had large contributions to increasing literacy rates and met the growing communication needs of a rapidly expanding nation. It influenced newspaper marketing, cheap print, and rise of consumer advertising; all of which led to long lasting global impacts. 

The Postal Service has faced a steep decline in demand in the recent decades. This is largely due to the rise in technology that makes communication much easier. People are much more likely to turn to email, phone, and instant messaging because it is more convenient and much faster. People want instant gratification and communication, which causes them to turn to other platforms. While letter post is rapidly declining, package mail helps to strengthen the necessity of the United States Postal Service. That being said, the institution has lost billions of dollars in revenue since 2006.