Benjamin Franklin became the postmaster of Philadelphia in 1737. Then from 1753 to 1774, he was the joint postmaster general of the colonies. While he was postmaster, he made postal delivery easier by marking out simple routes from Maine to Florida (the beginning of Route 1). He also started overnight postal delivery between New York and Philadelphia and made a standardized rate chart that used weight and distance to charge for postage. However, he was fired for opening and publishing Massachusetts Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson's letter.
So on February 20, 1792, President George Washington signed legislation that made the United States Post Office a department of the cabinet, and it was to be led by the postmaster general. The law promised affordable delivery of all newspapers and the right to privacy. It also gave Congress the ability to take the postal service to new areas of the nation.
