American Letter Mail Company
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| American Letter Mail Company | |
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| Fate | Outlawed by Private Express Statutes |
| Founded | 1844 |
| Defunct | 1851 |
| Location |  USA  New York |
| Industry | Courier |
| Key people | Lysander Spooner |
The American Letter Mail Company was started by Lysander Spooner in 1844, competing with the legal monopoly of the United States Post Office (USPO) (now the United States Postal Service {USPS}) in violation of the Private Express Statutes. It succeeded in delivering mail for lower prices, but the U.S. Government challenged Spooner with legal measures, eventually forcing him to cease operations in 1851.[1]
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[edit] Overview
According to McMaster[2], the company had offices in various cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. Stamps could be purchased and then attached to letters which could be sent to any of its offices. From here agents were dispatched who travelled on railroads and steamboats, and carried the letters in hand bags. Letters were transferred to messengers in the cities along the routes who then delivered the letters to the addressees.
[edit] Competition with the USPS
Spooner's intentions were founded on both an ethical perspective, as he considered government monopoly to be an immoral restriction, as well as an economic analysis, as he believed that 5 cents was sufficient to send mail throughout the country. The American Letter Mail Company was able to reduce the price of its stamps significantly and even offered free local delivery, significantly undercutting the 12 cent stamp being sold by the USPO. Although the business was forced to close shop after only a few years, it succeeded in driving down the cost of government delivered mail.
[edit] References
- ^ Goodyear, Lucille. Spooner vs. U.S. Postal System. American Legion Magazine, January 1981
- ^ McMaster, John Bach. 1910. A History of the People of the United States. D. Appleton and Company. p. 116
[edit] External links
- J.R. Greene, Stamp-ing Around
- Sherman Lee Pompey, "Father of 3-cent Stamp" Spooner fought Post Office
- Who Caused the Reduction of Postage? Ought He to be Paid? by Lysander Spooner
- The Post Office and Private Mail Service 19th century individualist anarchist Benjamin Tucker opposes USPS monopoly
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