SKU: 82070379210

Paper Trails: The Us Post and the Making of the American West

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Paper Trails: The Us Post and the Making of the American WestA groundbreaking history of how the US Post made the nineteenth century American West. There were five times as many post offices in the United States in 1899 than there are McDonald's restaurants today. During an era of supposedly limited federal government, the United States operated the most expansive national postal system in the world. In this cutting edge interpretation of the late nineteenth century United States, Cameron Blevins argues that

A groundbreaking history of how the US Post made the nineteenth-century American West.

There were five times as many post offices in the United States in 1899 than there are McDonald's restaurants today. During an era of supposedly limited federal government, the United States operated the most expansive national postal system in the world.

In this cutting-edge interpretation of the late nineteenth-century United States, Cameron Blevins argues that the US Post wove together two of the era's defining projects: western expansion and the growth of state power. Between the 1860s and the early 1900s, the western United States underwent a truly dramatic reorganization of people, land, capital, and resources. It had taken Anglo-Americans the better part of two hundred years to occupy the eastern half of the continent, yet they occupied the West within a single generation. As millions of settlers moved into the region, they relied on letters and newspapers, magazines and pamphlets, petitions and money orders to stay connected to the wider world.

Paper Trails maps the spread of the US Post using a dataset of more than 100,000 post offices, revealing a new picture of the federal government in the West. The western postal network bore little resemblance to the civil service bureaucracies typically associated with government institutions. Instead, the US Post grafted public mail service onto private businesses, contracting with stagecoach companies to carry the mail and paying local merchants to distribute letters from their stores. These arrangements allowed the US Post to rapidly spin out a vast and ephemeral web of postal infrastructure to thousands of distant places.

The postal network's sprawling geography and localized operations forces a reconsideration of the American state, its history, and the ways in which it exercised power.

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SKU: 82070379210

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4.3 ★★★★★
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Derek Sarringer
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Runs a bit small
Size: 8-9 Women/7.5-8 Men, Color: Black
I absolutely LOVE these slippers. They are very comfortable. I would suggest going up a size when ordering. I normally wear a ladies 7 or 8 in shoes (pending how the shoe is made). I ordered these in the sizes 8-9 category and I'm glad I did. They fit just right, so I think the sizing is a bit off. I love the soles on the bottom as well. I feel like I have finally found a great pair of house slippers...and they're CUTE!!!
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Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2021
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E. Mace
Battle Creek, US
★★★★★ 3
Order one size up! Cute & cozy slippers
Size: 8-9 Women/7.5-8 Men, Color: Pink Cat, Size: 8-9 Women/7.5-8 Men, Color: Pink Cat
The slippers arrived today ( I got the gray and pink ones) and they are adorable. They fit more like a 7.5 than an 8 or a size slightly smaller than what the usual medium would be so I’d recommend ordering one size up. They’re soft and warm. 10/10 for the designs and colors. The bottoms/ soles are a rubber like material but no complaints there. So far, I’d buy another pair.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2021
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VegasHawkeye
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Picky dog approved!
Color: S6-muti-color, Color: S6-muti-color
I have wasted so much money on dog balls that they won't even pick up! They finally were obsessed with the Kong rubber green/blue or red/blue ones, but they're $3+. each, and they break from the dogs squishing it. I honestly had zero expectations on these, and they BOTH picked them up on the first throw! That's huge!! Seem to work fine in the ChuckIt. As for the squeaker, at first I was like "Oh nooooo." when they both loudly started! Much to my (and my neighbors') happiness, the squeakers stopped working after a couple minutes. 🤣
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Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2025
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William Lovelace
Charlottesville, US
★★★★★ 5
Great dog toys
Color: S6-muti-color
These are long lasting, durable dog toys. My dogs love the squeak sound.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2026
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Karen
Massapequa, US
★★★★★ 5
Durable
Color: S6-muti-color
The balls are great for chewers. The squeaky didn’t last long but they are perfect for the ball launcher.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2026

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