When Benjamin Franklin became Deputy Postmaster General for the Crown in 1753, Franklin made many lasting improvements to the postal system. He reorganized the service, inspected postal offices, and had milestones placed on principal roads. Post riders began carrying the mail at night as well as during the day.

By 1774, however, the colonists became suspicious of the Royal Postal Service and wanted a post service they could trust.

At the First Continental Congress, on July 26, 1775, Benjamin Franklin was named the first Postmaster General for the United States.

Today's postal service is directly related to the system Franklin planned and put into operation.