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The economy of the new nation was based on merchants trading in the Atlantic marketplace. Economic success depended on the timely exchange of goods, payments, and information. From the Middle Ages—when European merchants first used the church clock to count hours and coordinate transactions—time gradually came to be seen not only as God's order for the universe, but as a basis of profitable business. |
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Merchandise on a Schedule
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Map of the United States with postal schedule, 1796; by Abraham Bradley Jr.
Courtesy of National Postal Museum
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Traditionally, sailing ships crossed the Atlantic only when their holds were full of cargo and the weather was fair. Newspapers carried notices of their random arrivals and departures. In January 1818, the Black Ball Company became the first packet line to offer scheduled service between New York and Liverpool, England. Other companies followed suit. In order to meet their new timetables, speed was of the essence—packets began making crossings under full sail, day and night, and in all kinds of weather.
Information on a Timetable
The new nation's economy was dependent on the timely exchange of information. The Post Office Act of 1792 established a nationally coordinated system to speed delivery of the mail—a relay of post riders and stagecoaches operated on a regular schedule. Within four years, the post office established an hour-by-hour schedule for the post road that stretched from Canada to South Carolina.
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Letter
Courtesy of National Postal Museum |
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Mailbag
Courtesy of National Postal Museum |
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Half-dollar note, 1776
Gift of Verna Rudd Kenvin and Joan
Weekes Smith
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On the Money
Benjamin Franklin—who popularized the adage "Time is money"—designed the paper currency issued by the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. He included a sundial on the half-dollar note, as well as a reminder that fleeting time should be put to profitable use.
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