U.S. Postal Museum Features Stories of Slave-Carried Mail
Before the introduction of home mail delivery, slaves often carried letters to and from the post office. Slave-carried mail is usually identified by a notation—called an endorsement—that also served as a travel pass. These mail messengers could be an important source of news if they overheard discussions during their travels. Slaves sometimes carried letters directly to the recipient, bypassing the postal system entirely. This was often the case when the letter was accompanied by a parcel, since post offices did not handle domestic package mail until 1913.
Now the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum is recalling that piece of postal history in a new exhibit “Freedom Just Around the Corner: Black America from Civil War to Civil Rights” is the museum’s first exhibit devoted to African-American history.
The new exhibit features letters carried by enslaved Americans and mail sent by and to leaders of the civil rights movement.
“Sent girl Susan” stampless folded letter, April 17, 1850
I send to you my negro girl Susan aged 16 all rite and a first rate girl big limbs and muscles please sell her and remit…
Susan was probably unaware that the letter she carried to the Eastville, Virginia post office contained arrangements for her to be sold to a slave dealer in Richmond.
Not sure why someone wouldn’t see the connection to postal history. It’s a variation on traditional delivery methods, and that variant was making use of a singular and historically important institution. I’ve never seen a postal cover with a “carried by a slave” endorsement, and that would be a quite a draw at any philatelic exhibition, I am sure.
Very nice story but what does it have to do with the Post Office????? Didn’t everyone do this back then????