Ragtime: Scott Joplin

A composer and pianist, Scott Joplin is known as the “king of ragtime,” a significant development in modern music that combined African-American harmonies and rhythms with other musical styles. In 1899, Joplin composed “Maple Leaf Rag,” which was the genre’s biggest hit. He included ragtime songs in his opera Treemonisha, the first opera composed by an African-American. In 1976, almost

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The Black Experience: African Americans on Postage Stamps

Visit this Virtual Exhibit Since the founding of the United States, African Americans have played a pivotal role in the shaping of American history and heritage. Their contributions to America have included the fields highlighted by the 1940 Famous Americans and many more. This virtual exhibition showcases the black experience in the United States through the lens of American postage

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“Just Stampin’ Around” | History | Stamps

Did people always use stamps? No. Before stamps people who received letters had to pay for their delivery. People wanted to prepay postage to speed up their mail. Stamps were invented to stick on letters, to show that postage was paid. Check out EsperStamps for more information.

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Negro Leagues Baseball | Kadir Nelson

The Negro Leagues Baseball stamps pay tribute to the all-black professional baseball leagues that operated from 1920 to about 1960. The National Postal Museum is currently featuring original art produced by Kadir Nelson for the creation of the stamps. On loan from the U.S. Postal Service. Source: National Postal Museum

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