The American Postal Network, 1792û1914

Over recent years the nineteenth-century American postal system has attracted sustained scholarly attention. This was not only a large and powerful institution, but was also a precursor to many modern organizations. By covering both administrative and non-administrative aspects of the postal network, this four-volume reset edition shows how this system was part of a larger network which included different modes of transport and communication (steamboats, railroads, telegraphs) as well as political parties (the Democrats, Whigs and Republicans).With a particular focus on pamphlet sources, this is the first documentary history of its kind. Not only do these texts present specific nineteenth-century debates about administrative politics and bureaucratic organization, but they also place the postal system in the context of larger concerns about government, economic development and political patronage. All the documents included in this edition are rare, with volumes organized chronologically by topic. The edition will be of interest to those specializing in law, business, politics and the nineteenth-century history of America.