Today we're going to discuss the history of the postal service. In the early 19th century, letters were delivered by horse-drawn coaches, which was slow and expensive. The recipient usually paid the postage, not the sender. This changed in 1840 with the introduction of the Penny Post in Britain, where the sender prepaid a uniform rate of one penny. This innovation dramatically increased the volume of mail. Interestingly, the first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, was also issued at this time. However, the postal service faced challenges, including how to deal with increasing volumes and ensuring timely delivery across expanding railway networks.
❓ According to the lecture, what was the main change introduced by the Penny Post in 1840?
A. A. The recipient started paying the postage.
B. B. The sender paid a fixed low rate for postage.
C. C. Mail was delivered by railway instead of coaches.