Postal Conventions

In July 1875, the General Postal Union or “GPU” (later, the Universal Postal Union or “UPU”) simplified the handling of international mail. Before the GPU, the United States entered into bilateral postal conventions with numerous other countries to facilitate the exchange of international mail.

The following are copies of many of the postal conventions to which the United States was a party before the GPU. Even though the United States joined the GPU in 1875, some of these bilateral conventions were in effect after 1875 because the other country party to the convention may not yet have joined the GPU or UPU.

Most of these conventions were copied from the United States Statutes at Large, Volumes 16, 17, and 18.

 

U.S. and Belgium

1860 U.S.-Belgium Convention

1863 U.S.-Belgium Convention
(While this Conventions was published, it never went into effect)

1867 U.S.-Belgium Convention

1870 U.S.-Belgium Convention

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U.S. and Brazil

1870 U.S.-Brazil Convention

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U.S. and Bremen

1847 U.S.-Bremen Convention

1853 U.S.-Bremen Convention

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U.S. and British Columbia

1870 U.S.-British Columbia Convention

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U.S. and Canada

1851 U.S.-Canada Convention

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U.S. and Ecuador

1871 U.S.-Ecuador Convention

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U.S. and France

1857 U.S.-France Convention

1861 Amendments to the U.S.-France Convention

1874 U.S.-France Convention

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U.S. and German Empire

1871 U.S.-German Empire Convention

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U.S. and Guatemala

1862 U.S.-Guatemala Convention

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U.S. and Hamburg

1857 U.S.-Hamburg Convention

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U.S. and Hawaii

1870 U.S.-Hawaii Convention

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U.S. and Hong Kong

1867 U.S.-Hong Kong Convention

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U.S. and Italy

1863 U.S.-Italy Convention
(While this Conventions was published, it never went into effect)

1867 U.S.-Italy Convention

1869 U.S.-Italy Convention

1870 U.S.-Italy Convention

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U.S. and Mexico

1861 U.S.-Mexico Convention

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U.S. and Netherlands

1867 U.S.-Netherlands Convention

1867 U.S.-Netherlands Tables

1870 U.S.-Netherlands Ammendments

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U.S. and New Foundland

1872 U.S.-Newfoundland Convention

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U.S. and New Zealand

1870 U.S.-New Zealand Convention

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U.S. and Northern German Union

1867 U.S.-North German Union Convention

1870 Amendments to U.S.-North German Union Convention

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U.S. and Prussia

1852 U.S.-Prussia Convention

1855-61 Amendments to the U.S.-Prussia Convention

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U.S. and Salvador

1870 U.S.-Salvador Convention

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U.S. and Sweden and Norway

1873 U.S.-Sweden and Norway Convention

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U.S. and Switzerland

1867 U.S.-Switzerland Convention

1869 U.S.-Switzerland Convention

1870 U.S.-Switzerland Convention

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U.S. and U.K.

1848 U.S.-U.K. Convention

1852-65 Amendments to the U.S.-U.K. Convention

1867 Amendments to the U.S.-U.K. Convention

1868-69 Amendments to the U.S.-U.K. Convention

1871 Amendments to the U.S.-U.K. Convention

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U.S. and Venezuela

1865 U.S.-Venezuela Convention

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