How the Passport Became an Improbable Symbol of American Identity
What Began as an Informal Means of Introduction Became the Ultimate Government-Sanctioned Authenticator
It was originally a European tradition, not ours. But in 1780, needing a more formal way to send former Continental Congressman Francis Dana from France to Holland, Benjamin Franklin used his own printing press to create a new document. The single-sheet letter, written entirely in French, politely requested that Dana and his servant be allowed to pass freely as they traveled for the next month. Franklin signed and sealed the page himself and handed it off to Dana, creating one of the first known U.S. “passe-ports.”
Today, the nation’s …
