A Postal Semiquincentennial

NAPEX 2025 Cover

NAPEX 2025 was held June 6-8 in McLean, Virginia. This event combines the national conventions for several philatelic societies as well as the Virginia Postal History Society.

This year, one of three special themes, highlighted on the cover of its program, was “Celebrating the Semiquincentennial of Benjamin Franklin as First U.S. Postmaster General, 1775.” As part of this, a dedicated cancellation was offered featuring Franklin:

NAPEX Cancellation
By Paul Johnson, from NAPEX 2025 program, page 5.

We have two letters of Franklin’s from around this time that give an insight into his evolving mindset.

Franklin left London on March 20, 1775 and landed in Philadelphia on May 5. When he arrived he first learned that fighting broke out in Lexington and Concord on April 19 while he was at sea. He was appointed to the Philadelphia delegation to the Continental Congress on the next day. The Continental Congress convened on May 10, 1775, and on May 29, Franklin was appointed to a committee to establish a postal service.

Two letters from Franklin to botanist Humphry Marshall of Chester County, Pennsylvania bracket this time, before and after Franklin’s voyage home. In both, Franklin ends with encouragement for the uniting colonies.

On March 13, 1775, from London, Franklin wrote:

The Controversy will soon end in our Favor, notwithstanding the present Measures, if America is steady in the Non Consumption Agreement. All the Hopes and Dependance of the Ministry, are in Dividing us, by working upon our Fears and Hopes. If we are faithful to each other, our Adversaries are ruin’d. (Papers 21:520).

Marshall seems to have replied with similar thoughts to welcome Franklin home, because in his letter of May 23, 1775, Franklin wrote, augmenting his faith in economic boycott with grim determination to follow the escalating struggle:

I received your favor of the 13th inst. I think, with you, that the non-importation and non-exportation, well adhered to, will end the controversy in our favor. But, as Britain has begun to use force, it seems absolutely necessary that we should be prepared to repel force by force, which I think, united, we are well able to do.

It is a true old saying, that make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you: to which I may add another, God helps them that help themselves. (Papers, 22:50-51).

Thanks to NAPEX for commemorating this anniversary, and to Haim Malka for bringing it to my attention.

A Note on Sources

I’ve entered these quotes from the Papers volumes, but want to provide online links. As I write this, June 9, 2025, I am getting intermittent service from Founders Online. The Packard Institute is again a valuable resource for correspondence with Humphry Marshall and these particular letters, linked above.

See Also