On this day in American history-July 1, 1847-
the first official U.S. postage stamp was issued.
An early design for the first stamp called for it to depict
former President Andrew Jackson, hero of the War of 1812.
However, due to divisive issues within our nation at the time,
which would eventually lead to the outbreak of the Civil War,
a portrait of Benjamin Franklin was selected instead.
Franklin is credited for organizing America's first postal service
in the 18th century, He was also elected as the first Postmaster
General of the Confederation, playing a significant role in
communications during the Revolutionary War.
features a portrait of Benjamin Franklin
Image courtesy/mysticstamp.com
of President George Washington
Gilbert Stuart painting, "The Athenaeum"
Although the stamps were made available for purchase at major
U.S. post offices on July 1, 1847, due to delays in production, only
one office, in New York City. received the stamps on that date.
The stamps were produced until 1851.
No comments:
Post a Comment