Take a photo of a barcode or cover
hollyd19 's review for:
How the Post Office Created America: A History
by Winifred Gallagher
informative
reflective
medium-paced
In this book, Gallagher lays out the history of America’s postal service and its central role in the country’s formation, from westward expansion, to the development of the press and transportation industries, to trust in the concept of representative government. Well-researched and approachable, Gallagher shares a compelling case for the importance of the postal service as a creator and supporter of American culture.
There was a lots of information about the postal service that floored me, like the fact that it existed prior to the Declaration of Independence, subsidized newspapers from the get-go, used to be represented in the president’s cabinet (where the Postmaster General sat until the 1970s), and essentially single-handedly ushered in the age of aviation in the U.S. Also, there were memorable stories of the wild postmasters who sorted mail on moving trains, rode horses over mountain passes in snowstorms, and flew in fabric planes to deliver letters.
My only criticism for this book is around Gallagher’s lack of acknowledgement of the murder and displacement of indigenous people and the resulting power imbalance as the U.S. expanded westward. Early post offices and settlements were often attack by encroached-upon tribes but the way she presented those clashes lacked some nuance for me.
Ultimately, I was convinced my Gallagher’s thesis that the post office played an enormous role in the creation of America and its culture. Unfortunately, in transitioning from the Post Office Department to the USPS in the 70s, it took on an odd structure as a government-owned business rather than a service, which, in my opinion, was a grave mistake and antithetical to the post’s founding values. Time will tell what that impact will be long term and if a course correction can rescue the mail.
This book was published in 2016, but is more relevant today than ever. Given the way that the USPS is being intentionally sabotaged as we speak, I think it’s particularly important to recognize its vital history as a staple of U.S. culture, commerce, and democracy.
There was a lots of information about the postal service that floored me, like the fact that it existed prior to the Declaration of Independence, subsidized newspapers from the get-go, used to be represented in the president’s cabinet (where the Postmaster General sat until the 1970s), and essentially single-handedly ushered in the age of aviation in the U.S. Also, there were memorable stories of the wild postmasters who sorted mail on moving trains, rode horses over mountain passes in snowstorms, and flew in fabric planes to deliver letters.
My only criticism for this book is around Gallagher’s lack of acknowledgement of the murder and displacement of indigenous people and the resulting power imbalance as the U.S. expanded westward. Early post offices and settlements were often attack by encroached-upon tribes but the way she presented those clashes lacked some nuance for me.
Ultimately, I was convinced my Gallagher’s thesis that the post office played an enormous role in the creation of America and its culture. Unfortunately, in transitioning from the Post Office Department to the USPS in the 70s, it took on an odd structure as a government-owned business rather than a service, which, in my opinion, was a grave mistake and antithetical to the post’s founding values. Time will tell what that impact will be long term and if a course correction can rescue the mail.
This book was published in 2016, but is more relevant today than ever. Given the way that the USPS is being intentionally sabotaged as we speak, I think it’s particularly important to recognize its vital history as a staple of U.S. culture, commerce, and democracy.