Good morning, everyone. Today we're going to discuss the history of the postal service. Many people assume that the first stamps were introduced in the UK, which is true for the Penny Black in 1840. However, an even earlier form of prepaid postage existed in France in the 17th century, but it was not widely adopted. Interestingly, the first official postage stamps in the United States appeared in 1847, but they were only used on the East Coast initially. It wasn't until the 1850s that stamps became common across the whole country. So, the key point is that while the UK is famous for the Penny Black, other countries had earlier, albeit less successful, systems.