Postal Evolution: From Horses To The Digital Age

There is increasing buzz around the transition to a digital mailroom, and many organizations are struggling to figure out how to manage this transformation and what the benefits are.

It’s important to remember, though, that the way we manage mail, and the role mail plays in our lives and our businesses, has been continuously evolving for thousands of years.

The oldest mail service we know of was documented in Egypt in 2400 B.C., but dedicated mail service was also in place in ancient Persia, Rome, India, and China. These systems relied on a network of couriers who primarily traveled on horseback or in carriages.

This model was largely followed in the newly formed United States as well, when Benjamin Franklin was named the first postmaster general (one of the few such positions explicitly established in the Constitution) in 1775.

As joint postmaster for the colonies under British rule, Franklin had already established himself as an innovator. He established new postal routes and cut delivery time between Philadelphia and New York in half by having the weekly mail wagon travel both day and night using relay teams. He also standardized delivery costs based on weight and distance.