Title: Before Cell Phones, How Did People Communicate During the 18th Century? - 18th Century History -- The Age of Reason and Change
Headings: Before Cell Phones, How Did People Communicate During the 18th Century?
Before Cell Phones, How Did People Communicate During the 18th Century?
Details
18th-Century Communication Standards
Safety and Modern Communication
Blending Past and Present

Content: 18th-Century Communication Standards
Cell phones didn’t exist in the 1700s, so people who wanted to send and receive messages had to rely on other methods. Letter writing was the go-to method, but it was unreliable at best. Letters could sometimes take two weeks to reach their destination, and the sender wouldn’t know if their letter was delivered unless they received a response. There were no read receipts in the 18th century. The U.S. Postal Service was improving during this time, largely thanks to the work of Benjamin Franklin, who became U.S. postmaster in 1775. He helped organize a working postal system and introduced many of the concepts that we take for granted today in package delivery,
However, imagine a world in which you couldn’t text or call your friend to ask if they want to meet up for dinner. Instead, you would have to send a letter at least a month out from when you wanted to meet, hope they receive it, and then wait in hope of a response. That dinner better be worth it! In addition to personal letters, people in the 1700s relied heavily on newspapers to read and share news. Slow, written communications ruled during this time.