July marks the 250th anniversary of the United States Postal Service, an institution that predates the Declaration of Independence. The U.S. postal system was established by the Second Continental Congress on July 26, 1775, thereby laying the groundwork for the modern Postal Service. USPS was later enshrined in the Constitution, with Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 granting Congress the power “To establish Post Offices and post Roads.” Today, the Postal Service is a valued institution in many Americans’ lives.

The Postal Service fulfills its statutory mission “to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people” and to deliver mail and packages together six days a week to every address nationwide, no matter where that address may be.