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First postmasters' provisional stamps issued in New York City

In the Act of March 3, 1845, the United States Congress standardized postal rates throughout the nation at 5¢ for a normal-weight letter transported up to 300 miles and 10¢ for a letter transported...

In the Act of March 3, 1845, the United States Congress standardized postal rates throughout the nation at 5¢ for a normal-weight letter transported up to 300 miles and 10¢ for a letter transported between 300 and 3,000 miles, with these rates to take effect on July 1, 1845.

In Great Britain, such uniformity had been adopted as a necessary prelude to the issue, in May 1840, of the world's first adhesive postage stamps, to be used for the prepayment of mail. (Before this standardization, the many different postal rates in different jurisdictions had made fees too unpredictable to prepay all letters with stamps as a matter of course, with the result that recipients of letters—rather than senders—generally paid the postage on them.) It was clearly Britain’s standardization that led the U.S.

Historical Significance

In the Act of March 3, 1845, the United States Congress standardized postal rates throughout the nation at 5¢ for a normal-weight letter transported up to 300 miles and 10¢ for a letter transported between 300 and 3,000 miles, with these rates to take effect on July 1, 1845.

Events Before

  1. First issue of "Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant" newspaper is published; issued three times per week

    First issue of "Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant" newspaper is published; issued three times per week

  2. Samuel Morse taps out "What hath God wrought" in the world's first telegraph message

    Samuel Morse taps out "What hath God wrought" in the world's first telegraph message

  3. Canada defeats the USA by 23 runs in the first international cricket match at the grounds of St. George's Cricket Club i

    Canada defeats the USA by 23 runs in the first international cricket match at the grounds of St. George's Cricket Club in Manhattan, New York

  4. New York Politician Boss Tweed (21) weds Mary Jane C. Skaden

    New York Politician Boss Tweed (21) weds Mary Jane C. Skaden

  5. University of Notre Dame receives its charter in Indiana

    The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; NOH-tər-DAYM; ND) is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States.

Events After

  1. Legislative Assembly of Yucatán declares independence from Mexico

    Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to...

  2. Thornton Affair: Open conflict begins over the disputed border of Texas, triggering the Mexican–American War

    Texas ( TEK-səss) is the most populous state in the South of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and an...

  3. First officially recognized baseball game (played by Cartwright Rules) - NY Nine defeats the NY Knickerbockers 23-1 in H

    First officially recognized baseball game (played by Cartwright Rules) - NY Nine defeats the NY Knickerbockers 23-1 in Hoboken, New Jersey

  4. US Act of Congress passes establishment of the Smithsonian Institution, now the world's largest museum and research comp

    US Act of Congress passes establishment of the Smithsonian Institution, now the world's largest museum and research complex

  5. Italian "The Barber of Seville" opera composer Gioachino Rossini (54) marries 2nd wife, French model Olympe Pélissier (4

    Italian "The Barber of Seville" opera composer Gioachino Rossini (54) marries 2nd wife, French model Olympe Pélissier (47) in Paris, France

More from the 1840s

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

Richard Wagner's opera "The Flying Dutchman" premieres in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony

Explorer and medical missionary David Livingstone (31) weds Mary Moffat

David Livingstone (19 March 1813 – 1 May 1873) was a Scottish doctor, Congregationalist, pioneer Christian missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa.

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

First recorded bowling match in the US takes place at Knickerbocker Alleys, New York

New York Illustrated News, the first illustrated weekly magazine in the US, publishes its first issue in New York

The Illustrated London News, founded by Herbert Ingram and first published on Saturday 14 May 1842, was the world's first illustrated weekly news magazine.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on July 14, 1845?
In the Act of March 3, 1845, the United States Congress standardized postal rates throughout the nation at 5¢ for a normal-weight letter transported up to 300 miles and 10¢ for a letter transported between 300 and 3,000 miles, with these rates to take effect on July 1, 1845. In Great Britain, such uniformity had been adopted as a necessary prelude to the issue, in May 1840, of the world's first adhesive postage stamps, to be used for the prepayment of mail. (Before this standardization, the many different postal rates in different jurisdictions had made fees too unpredictable to prepay all letters with stamps as a matter of course, with the result that recipients of letters—rather than senders—generally paid the postage on them.) It was clearly Britain’s standardization that led the U.S.
Why is First postmasters' provisional stamps issued in New York City significant?
In the Act of March 3, 1845, the United States Congress standardized postal rates throughout the nation at 5¢ for a normal-weight letter transported up to 300 miles and 10¢ for a letter transported between 300 and 3,000 miles, with these rates to take effect on July 1, 1845.

Explore More

July 14 in HistoryYear 1845