MODULE 5 Chapter 1

Module 5 Chapter 1

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Idaho's Heritage: Got Stamps?

A lot of Idaho's heritage can be found on postage stamps issued by the U. S. Post Office. Special stamps are printed to mark special events. For example, one of the stamps below marks the 50th anniversary of Idaho's becoming a state. What year would that stamp have been printed? In 1940, of course! That is 50 years after 1890 when Idaho became a state.

Stamps can be fascinating. Not only are they beautiful to look at, they can remind us of interesting things that have happened in past.

Each of the stamps below have some connection with Idaho. Some are obvious, but others may make you think! What about the Ordinance of 1787?

Just for fun, study each of the stamps below and try to discover the connection to Idaho. If you can't figure out some of them now, maybe you can later when you have studied Idaho history.

Another thing to figure out is the year that they were printed. Notice the price printed on each one. The earliest stamps shown here sold for three cents! That is what it cost to send a letter during the year when the stamp was printed. Notice that the price keeps going up as time goes by. Today a letter costs 37 cents to send! (At an earlier time, it cost only one cent to send a letter.)

Maybe you would like to start a stamp collection of your own. That can be a lot of fun, and it is a great way to learn some things about America.

To see a larger picture of each stamp, just click on the image.