When the Mail Took to the Sky
Today, sending a message across the country takes only a fraction of a second. A quick tap on a screen delivers words almost instantly. More than a century ago, however, communication traveled only as fast as a machine on wheels could roll. Important business letters, family news, and government documents depended on trains. While steam locomotives were much faster than horses, a cross-country trip still took several days. The desire to speed up communication pushed the United States government to explore a daring new frontier: the sky.
On May 15, 1918, the United States Post Office Department and the U.S. Army began the nation's first regular, scheduled airmail service. Aviators had flown mail before in short, special demonstrations, but this date marked the start of a dependable, continuous route. The new route connected Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City. By using airplanes, the postal service hoped to shave precious hours off the delivery time between these major eastern cities.
- aviators:
- People who fly airplanes; pilots.
- logistics:
- The careful planning and organization of moving goods and people.
- biplanes:
- Airplanes with two wings, one above the other.
- relay:
- A station or system where items, like mail, are passed along from one group to another.
- obscured:
- Hidden from view or made hard to see.
- commerce:
- The buying, selling, and moving of business goods and services.
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Main Idea
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Purpose
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why did the United States government want to explore using airplanes to transport mail?
- 2How was the official start of scheduled airmail in May 1918 different from earlier flights carrying mail?
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About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“When the Mail Took to the Sky” is a explanatory article reading passage about History of Airmail Service, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (522 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.