Very interesting stuff James, I had no idea Indians in the sub-continent were using them against the British. Rocket mail has a following and as a collector unfamiliar with most of it I was surprised by the amount of rocket mail by the small country of the Netherlands. The only piece I have that would be anything close to that would be the Challenger shuttle cover that was taken up into space and then sold by the USPS. Most people are more familiar with the ill-fated flight in which it disintegrated moments after leaving the launch pad.
Always nice to learn things from the past in here. I am wondering if how many mails were lost or missed being sent by a rocket before.
A U.S. Post Office opened in the Philippines today in 1898. After the U.S. made peace with Spain, it became a San Francisco post office branch.
Regular airmail service began today in 1920 between Chicago and St. Louis. Airmail pilot Charles Lindbergh flew mail on this route.
The Revolutionary Texas government set up an independent postal system today in 1835, naming John Rice Jones, Jr as Postmaster General. I was born & raised in Texas and never knew this. Makes sense that they would need a postal system once they became an independent Republic.
The first fully mechanized post office opened today in 1960. It was located in Providence, Rhode Island.
Famed writer William Faulkner was fired as postmaster of Oxford, MS today in 1924 for goofing off & losing mail.
The Stamp Act went into effect today in 1765, prompting stiff resistance from American colonists. Opening up the proverbial "can of worms". Some good information here.... http://arago.si.edu/record_89423_img_1.html
The first United States Christmas stamp was issued today in 1962. I don't have this one, so here's a link to some information about it. http://arago.si.edu/record_144925_img_1.html
On this day in Colonial America in 1776, Continental Congress replaced Benjamin Franklin as Postmaster General with Richard Bache.
Cal Rodger's “Vin Fiz Flyer" arrived in LA today in 1911, the 1st transcontinental flight. Total flight time was 3 days, 10 hrs, 14 min. He had taken off from Sheepshead Bay, NY. When he arrived on the West Coast, he literally landed on the beach and drove in to the water, stopping the clock. You can read much more about it here..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vin_Fiz_Flyer P.S. If you have a Vin Fiz Flyer stamp, you have a very rare item.
Hello all, an interesting bit of History. Sierra Leone (British Territory): Under British protection, freed African-American slaves were transported to Sierra Leone in 1787 after the American Revolutionary War, and founded Granville Town. Ironically, but not surprising, the settlement was opposed by the indigenous Temne and Mende peoples. Freetown was founded on March 11, 1792 with the settlement of 1,200 Black Loyalists, who came via Nova Scotia. Beginning in 1808, following the British Empire's abolition of the slave trade in 1807, thousands of liberated people from confiscated slave ships were brought to Freetown. The Sierra Leone Company, formed by abolitionists, then turned the territory over to the African Institution in 1807 (recognized by the British Crown). The returning freed Blacks, adopting the southern U.S. (western) habits in culture and dress, and mostly Christian (Methodist), formed the Krio (Creole) people, with Krio as the trading language. They were the Black ruling and educational elite. Naturally, conflict eventually developed with the native peoples of the interior, who were mostly Muslim. Today, the Krio people comprise about 4% of the population. English is still today the official language, but Krio is the trading language for all ethnic groups. Regards, James.
Nice to know that they have been freed and have their own identity. Great if there will be no conflicts there anymore.
Hello, the USA abolished slavery about 58 years after the British Empire. In the world today we still have slavery. There are 27 million slaves in the world today. Slavery is not legal anywhere but it happens everywhere The majority of slaves can be found in Africa and Asia Slaves are forced to work without pay, under the threat of violence, and unable to walk away. Slaves work in fields, brothels, homes, and practically any other place you can imagine. At least 14,500 slaves are trafficking into the United States each year. Human trafficking is the modern day slave trade. The average cost of the slave? $90 Debt bondage, bonded labor, attached labor, and restavec are all terms used by slave owners to avoid the term slave. A restavek is a child in Haiti who is sent by his or her parents to work for a host household as a domestic servant because the parents lack the resources required to support the child _______________________________________________________ 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery The House Joint Resolution proposing the 13th amendment to the Constitution, January 31, 1865. Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress, 1789-1999; General Records of the United States Government; Record Group 11; National Archives. Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States and provides that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.". ___________________________________________________________ I believe that I have personal experiance of attempted slavery. Three 16-25 y/o girls (no males) from my wife's village were offered employment in Poland and Russia. They were told that they would get good wages and holidays and accommodation and that they would work in offices and factories. Their airfares would be paid for them. Few of these girls had a good command of English. The National average wage in Thailand is about $10 per day for a 12 hour day. Their mothers brought them to us for help with VISA aplications. I explained the risk that they might face. and suggested that they found work locally or in a nearby city. I asked the mothers and the girls to explain to their friends what I had advised. Regards, James.
