New Books in Science, Technology, and Society Rachel Midura, "Postal Intelligence: The Tassis Family and Communications Revolution in Early Modern Europe" (Cornell UP, 2025)
Jan 7, 2026
Rachel Midura, a historian specializing in early modern communication, dives into the revolutionary impact of postal systems in Europe. She spotlights the Tassis family, who played crucial roles as postmasters under various rulers. Midura reveals how the post transformed diplomacy and public discourse, intertwining state and private communication. She discusses the challenges of maintaining reliable postal networks, espionage risks faced by messengers, and the evolution of postal services as a form of social media in the early modern era.
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Paper Fueled A Communications Revolution
- Early modern Europe underwent a communications revolution driven by cheaper paper and expanding state needs.
- Paper proliferation enabled routine bureaucracy and created sustained demand for reliable message-carrying networks.
Staging Posts Were The Postal Backbone
- Postal systems relied on staging posts and horse relays to achieve high speed.
- Maintaining staffed stations and fresh horses made the network extremely expensive and infrastructure-heavy.
Tassis Family Built A Pan-European Firm
- The Tassis family rose from Bergamo brokers to postmasters for the papacy and Habsburgs.
- At their peak 10–20 family members served across Europe, using kin networks to run the system.
