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Contribution #341 of 365
William H. Carney
Early Black American Postal Letter Carrier
1869–1901
The contribution
How this work helped shape America
Born enslaved in Virginia, William H. Carney escaped slavery and served with the 54th Massachusetts Infantry during the Civil War. Beginning in 1869, he worked for approximately 32 years as a postal letter carrier in New Bedford, Massachusetts, becoming the city's first Black carrier. His long federal-service career helped integrate a vital public communications workforce.