Act Establishing the Post Office
9/22/1789
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A year after the ratification of the Constitution, which gave Congress the power to establish a Post Office and post roads, Congress passed this law on September 22, 1789. The act temporarily continued the Post Office established under the Articles of Confederation. Four days later President George Washington appointed Samuel Osgood as the first Postmaster General under the United States Constitution.
This primary source comes from the General Records of the United States Government.
Full Citation: An Act for the Temporary Establishment of the Post Office; 9/22/1789; Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress, 1789 - 2011; General Records of the United States Government, Record Group 11; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/documents/document/post-office-act, May 20, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.