SKU: 82070379210

Paper Trails: The Us Post and the Making of the American West

Sale price$33.62 Regular price$37.35
Save 10%

Pay in installments of $9.34 with ShopPay, AfterPay and Klarna

Shipping Estimate
USA
  • USA
  • CAN

Ships within 48 hours · Estimated delivery Aug 15 - Aug 20

Promo Codes Available:

For Your Every Summer RSVP, with Code: SUMMER15

Description

Paper Trails: The Us Post and the Making of the American WestA groundbreaking history of how the US Post made the nineteenth century American West. There were five times as many post offices in the United States in 1899 than there are McDonald's restaurants today. During an era of supposedly limited federal government, the United States operated the most expansive national postal system in the world. In this cutting edge interpretation of the late nineteenth century United States, Cameron Blevins argues that

A groundbreaking history of how the US Post made the nineteenth-century American West.

There were five times as many post offices in the United States in 1899 than there are McDonald's restaurants today. During an era of supposedly limited federal government, the United States operated the most expansive national postal system in the world.

In this cutting-edge interpretation of the late nineteenth-century United States, Cameron Blevins argues that the US Post wove together two of the era's defining projects: western expansion and the growth of state power. Between the 1860s and the early 1900s, the western United States underwent a truly dramatic reorganization of people, land, capital, and resources. It had taken Anglo-Americans the better part of two hundred years to occupy the eastern half of the continent, yet they occupied the West within a single generation. As millions of settlers moved into the region, they relied on letters and newspapers, magazines and pamphlets, petitions and money orders to stay connected to the wider world.

Paper Trails maps the spread of the US Post using a dataset of more than 100,000 post offices, revealing a new picture of the federal government in the West. The western postal network bore little resemblance to the civil service bureaucracies typically associated with government institutions. Instead, the US Post grafted public mail service onto private businesses, contracting with stagecoach companies to carry the mail and paying local merchants to distribute letters from their stores. These arrangements allowed the US Post to rapidly spin out a vast and ephemeral web of postal infrastructure to thousands of distant places.

The postal network's sprawling geography and localized operations forces a reconsideration of the American state, its history, and the ways in which it exercised power.

Shipping Notes
  • Free Standard Shipping on $100+ Orders to the USA.
  • Except Preorder products are shipped in 48 hours.
  • Delivery to the USA:
  1. Standard Shipping : 3-10 business days
  • If time is of the essence, please consider selecting expedited delivery for faster service.
Exchange/Return Notes
  • We offer a 30-day return/exchange service after receiving.
  • Final sale items are not eligible for returns or exchanges.
  • To process your return/exchange, please contact us at [email protected]
  • Please click here for more details>>> Return & Exchange Policy
SKU: 82070379210

Discover Niche Categories That Outsell

Top-Converting Item to Boost Your Average Order

4.8 ★★★★★
Based on 17 reviews
Sort
Highest Rating
Newest First
Oldest First
Product Reviews
T
Verified Purchase
Tiffany
Lowell, US
★★★★★ 5
Daughter approved
Size: 1 Little Kid, Color: Turquoise/Multi
My daughter picked out these shoes and she absolutely loves them.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2026
J
Verified Purchase
Judie Edwards
Phoenix, US
★★★★★ 5
Not stiff or tight…
Size: 13.5 Little Kid, Color: Turquoise/Multi
My niece loved them. So many of the slips in shoes are too stiff and tight, this one was easy on, not stiff or tight, just perfect!
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2026
F
Verified Purchase
free
Carnegie, US
★★★★★ 5
Great for the price and the rhinestones add the extra pop.
Size: 2 Big Kid, Color: White/Rhinestones
My 7yo loves them. They appear well made and fit as expected. I saw some reviews of them being too big but no issues here. She’s worn them everyday for a week and she said they are comfortable. Color matches description and the rhinestones add the “extra sparkle” she loves. They did get some mud on them at recess but it was easy to clean off. Overall, no complaints for the price.
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2025
A
Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Houston, US
★★★★★ 5
Great shoe
Size: 5 Big Kid, Color: White/Rhinestones
Price is right, attractive looking shoe
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2026
L
Verified Purchase
Lord Prince
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Inexpensively Cute, Resilient and Durable...
Size: 5 Big Kid, Color: Purple, Size: 5 Big Kid, Color: Purple
Purchased these cheap mesh-like breathable, high quality light-weight canvas material non-reputable, off-brand name sneakers for my stepdaughter because her puma sneakers were wet. My daughter loves them; not only are they her favorite color, she says they're very comfortable and easy to put on. They're easy to put on, with a slip on style and also have tie up for a tighter fit. My daughter also says likes the purple in-sole bubble that looks like a real air bubble but its really hard plastic volcanized to give a nice polished purple color finish. My daughter is happy with them, so I am too. They're well worth the practical cost, I look forward to them lasting a growth period of approximately six months to a year. Highly recommended. Pick you child's favorite color! You'll be happy you did...
WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?YesReportShare
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2025

recommand products