Routes to a Nation: The Post Office in the Colonies and Early United States - A panel with Daniel A. Piazza, Lynn Heidelbaugh & Alison R. Bazylinski - moderated by Susan N. Smith — at Conn Ave
Routes to a Nation: The Post Office in the Colonies and Early United States is a panel discussion about the formation and expansion of the U.S. postal system, from its colonial beginnings and trans-Atlantic communications through the Revolutionary War and the early republic. The conversation will draw on a richly illustrated book featuring 130 images of letters, covers, seals, newspapers, stamps, and other artifacts from the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum.
The panel will examine how mail routes connected communities, supported trade, carried military information, and contributed to nation-building. It will also explore political conflicts surrounding the post, including colonial resistance, taxation, freedom of expression in newspapers, financing expansion, diplomatic correspondence, and Benjamin Franklin’s work as colonial deputy postmaster general.
When: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Showtime: 3:00 p.m.
Venue: Politics and Prose at 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, 5015 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Panelists: Daniel A. Piazza, Chief Curator of Philately at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum; Lynn Heidelbaugh, a curator specializing in the history of postal service in the United States; and Alison R. Bazylinski, a curator specializing in U.S. cultural history and material culture
Moderator: Susan N. Smith, the National Postal Museum’s Winton M. Blount Research Chair and editor of *Routes to a Nation: The Post Office in the Colonies and Early United States*
Tickets: Free
Seating: First come, first served.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The venue will make an effort to accommodate requests received up to the event time.
Related book: *Routes to a Nation: The Post Office in the Colonies and Early United States* is available as a $45 hardcover. The book was published October 6, 2026, and includes contributions from Daniel A. Piazza and a foreword by John M. Hotchner.