Star Route Mail Delivery
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Star Route Scandal for kids: What were the
Star Routes?
Definition: A Star Route was
the name given to a postal delivery
route served by a private contractor.
Star Route Scandal for kids: The US
Postal Service
By the mid 1800's most of the mail in the United States was
transported by steamboats and the railroads,
however these methods of transportation had
yet to reach the isolated regions of the new
territories in the West and South West. The
federal government therefore offered
lucrative contracts to private carriers to
deliver the post via horse, wagon or
stagecoach.
Star Route Scandal for kids: History of the Star Routes
The history of the Star Route contactors dates back to
an act of March 3, 1845. This legislation established a
new mail service that called for private contractors to
carry the mail "with celerity, certainty, and security".
Contracts for the mail service were awarded to the
lowest bidders. These became known as “celerity,
certainty and security” bids. Postal clerks shortened
the phrase to three asterisks or three stars (●). The
mail delivery contract bids became known as star bids,
and the routes became known as Star Routes.
The
Star Route Scandal for kids: Fraud, Bribery and Corruption
By 1880, there were nearly 10,000 star routes, costing
the federal government nearly $6 million a year. The money and
enormous profits involved in landing these contracts led to fraud,
bribery, collusion and corruption implicating the contractors,
postal officials, government officials and politicians. The extent
of Star Route Scandal would rock the nation, already reeling from
the scandals caused by the
Spoils System
and allegations of
Grantism
involving political corruption and greed in government.
The
Star Route Scandal: How the Frauds worked
Typically, the Star Route contracts were awarded for
four-year terms. The frauds worked as the contractors employed
numerous methods to obtain the lucrative postal contracts.
The Star Route Scandal: Bribes were exchanged
in return for contracts
The Star Route Scandal: Fictitious Delivery
Routes
The Star Route Scandal: Unnecessary
expenditures - Claims for improvements to non-existent
of scarcely used routes
The Star Route Scandal: Illegally increasing
mail rates
The Star Route Scandal: Some Contractors took
the money but didn't deliver the mail
The Star Route Scandal: Collusion: Contractor
colluded to submit low "straw" bids or ridiculously high
bids - default bidding resulted in highly lucrative
contracts
The Star Route Scandal: Exorbitant fees were
charged
Star Route Scandal Investigations and Trial
The Star Route Scandal
investigations took place in 1872 and 1876 under President Grant and
the frauds were temporarily halted but emerged again during the
Hayes and Garfield administrations sparking more investigations. A
federal prosecution and trial took place in 1882 urged by President
Chester Arthur, that was finally able to shut down the postal ring.
The investigations led to 25 indictments and although the trials
revealed frauds on nearly 100 Star routes, no convictions were
obtained. The Star Route scandal had been defrauded the Post Office
of $4,000,000.
Star Route Scandal
for kids
The info about the Star Route Scandal provides interesting facts and
important information about this important event that occured during the presidency of the 21st President of the United States of America.
Star Route Scandal - President Chester Arthur Video
The article on the Star Route Scandal provides detailed facts and a summary of one of the important events during his presidential term in office. The following
Chester Arthur video will
give you additional important facts and dates about the political events experienced by the 21st American President whose presidency spanned from September 19, 1881 to March 4, 1885.
Star Route Scandal
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Interesting Facts about Star Route Scandal for kids and schools
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Summary of the Postal Scandal in US history
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The Star Route Scandal, a major
event in US history
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Chester Arthur Presidency September 19, 1881 to March 4, 1885
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Fast, fun, interesting
facts
about the Post Office Scandal
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Foreign & Domestic
policies of President Chester Arthur
● Chester Arthur Presidency and
the Post Office Scandal for schools,
homework, kids and children |