United States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the United States, its insular areas, and its associated states. It is one of the few government agencies explicitly authorized by the Constitution of the United States. As of 2023, the USPS has 525,469 career employees and 114,623 non-career employees.
Some of the key events about United States Postal Service
- 1775The Continental Congress established the United States Post Office
- 1847The first U.S. postage stamps were issued
- 1863Free city delivery was introduced in large cities
- 1863The USPS implemented a controversial policy of withholding mail from the Confederate states during the Civil War
- 1896Rural Free Delivery service began, bringing mail directly to rural residents
- 1897The USPS banned the mailing of lottery tickets, leading to legal challenges
- 1913Parcel Post service was introduced, allowing packages to be mailed
- 1918Airmail service was inaugurated
- 1963The ZIP code system was implemented to improve mail sorting and delivery
- 1970A massive postal strike disrupted mail service across the United States
- 1971The United States Post Office Department was reorganized as the United States Postal Service
- 1978The USPS faced criticism for slow adoption of new technology, lagging behind private competitors
- 1983The USPS introduced Express Mail as a guaranteed overnight delivery service
- 1995The USPS experienced significant financial losses due to competition from email and private carriers
- 2001The USPS launched Click-N-Ship, allowing customers to print shipping labels from home
- 2001Several postal workers died from anthrax attacks, exposing vulnerabilities in mail security
- 2006The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act imposed strict prefunding requirements, straining USPS finances
- 2011The USPS announced plans to close thousands of post offices and processing centers, sparking public outcry
- 2020The USPS faced accusations of slowing mail delivery during the presidential election
- 2021A 10-year plan was introduced, proposing to slow down some mail delivery to cut costs
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.