The Pony Express (1860-61) 

Hard to believe such a legendary institution only existed for such a short period of time. Later pop culture sure made it seem like that was not the case. Kudos to those brave riders.

After the internet goes, I'll be applying for this job field.

14 year old rider going across 1860s America and killing 7 of his assailants before going down ? Damn. What a chad.

I'm from St. Joseph and our city loves the pony express. We even have a statue of a rider in our town square.

14 year old in the 1860's: *Delivers mail while being raided by native americans and dies bravely* 14 year olds today: *doing cringe tiktok dances, dangerous and stupid challenges*

I remember reading one rider was killed by natives, but his horse, who knew the way by instinct by that point, continued to the next station & inadvertently still delivered the mail.

The Pony Express was an nickname for the service. The official name was The Overland Express Route. It cut the travel time from the Atlantic to the Pacific to 10 days which was half the time normal delivery took by train or wagon coach. It was the only delivery service for many prospectors in the mountains during the gold rush. Riders had strict limits on the weight of their mail bags being no more than 20 pounds. In all of its troubles, the service only lost 1 bag of mail, and that was found and delivered to a Post Office 2 years later.

To anyone who is wondering, the background music is called “Horses to water”

Wish for video about the M1911A1 and the 45ACP in the future.

Postmen then: "I rode miles through enemy territory risking my life to deliver your birthday card." Postmen now: "I knocked once and immediately fucked off because I can't be expected to wait for someone to reach the door."

Wow, in 1861 they can deliver mail anywhere in the country in just a few days but it takes 2 weeks for my package to arrive by plane and car.

If I'm not mistaken, it seems like one of the last living Pony Express riders used to live near me. She lived by a big creek at a point that is really popular for launching canoes and kayaks. You would just pay her a few bucks and cut through her field and launch. She was up over 100 years old years ago when I still used to go kayaking. Seems like I remember reading about her being a Pony Express rider in the newspaper right around the time she died. Maybe I'm mistaken or something - maybe it was just something similar - but that's the way I understood it.

These dang whipper snappers and their new fangled telegraph machines!

Cowboy advice 1) Be rooting 2) Be tootin 3) be good at shooting 4) be nice

I used to work for securicor pony express in the uk, never got to shoot anyone though... As much as i would have liked.

Desire to reinstall Red Dead 2 INTENSIFIES🤠

Wow, this is one of the first videos from simple history i jave enjoyed in a long time. No sponsor that takes up 1/4 of the run time, no click bait title/thumbnail, and was overall very professional.

That damn Wells Fargo looks like they might have a habit of forgetting about their employees..

I live in Nevada there are several pony express stations near by; if you are able I recommend visiting these historical locations. Fort Churchill, pretty cool.

For some odd reason I thought the pony express started in the 1840's or 1850's and lasted until the telegraph and trains put it out of business. Shame on me....I minored in History in college, lol.

I always wondered about the Pony Express. Thank you for sharing!

United Sates Postal Service : Well get there in no less than 5 minutes Pony Express : I get it there in 4 days

This is awesome I love the branching out. Old west, feudal Japan, and medieval/Renaissance videos would be pretty sweet to watch your guys style on it. Keep up the great work.

I’d like to see a video on the history of scalping and the significance behind it.

Me who learned about the pony express in 5th grade: Oh I know this.

Thanks for another wild west episode! Really love them!👍

My third great grandfather rode with the Pony Express. He experienced it all... Indian attacks, Gunfights, Hard winters. Man lived a thousand different lives. They truly don’t build em like they used to. R.I.P Joseph Barney Wintle 1841-1916 🙏🇺🇸

If you lived in Boston and wanted to contact someone in Sacramento prior to ~ 1860, - it took months. Communication was by way of steamship all the way around the hemisphere - one way ! Depending on destination the river systems might be utilized by paddle or keel boat but these invariably were only opportunities going north-south and as far west as Independence Missouri. Once fur trappers, mining interests, explorers and cartographers had been establishing navigatable routes, the overland stage made the trip cross-country quicker but it still took several weeks at least. The Pony Express was a uniquely American enterprise. The most expedient thus far - but riddled with various limiting factors. It remained operating for only about a year and a half. The company wanted very young unmarried males. A limit to the rider's weight was paramount, as was proficiency with firearms. 'Changeover stations' were about every 25 or 30 miles unless one was 'taken out' by natives. The men made exceptionally good pay owing to the extreme danger and hazards. The Pony Express has had a very romantic image associated with it owing to the pay- risks - and ride; the lone or maverick status of riders, and it's brief and powerful exit from American history. After the war, the telegraph came into it's own, and railroad interests raced for the west coast, - these things also contributed to The 'Pony's' relatively quick cessation.

Need video about the Bradley IFVs in the future.

Wild West never gets old :')

My little pony taken to a whole new level

This video was really good and very helpfull!

Attempt #4 Should add a series on every WW2 operation

been waiting for a simple history video to come out the whole day

I love this channel

Amazing how fast technology changes everything

14 year olds in the wild west: *shooting for food taking care to the farm have jobs* 14 years old now: bro give you 10 bucks if you scream I Like fish OH BET

Thank you for the video As a non-American, if it wasn’t for this video, I would’ve never understood a single pony express joke

Very good!

Interesting as always

I read it as "The Polar Express". 😂

The animation in this video is amazing 🤩 !

Another outstanding video from this amazing channel. I hope to see the U.S Cavalry on this channel soon, either fighting in the Civil War or on the western plains.

Pony Express - TransContinental Railroad - Telegraph - Telephone.....I GET IT NOW!

I love you vids I get to learn a lot of new things

This gave me a nostalgic feeling from that one Lucky Luke comic book :)

Fascinating!

You guys are the best.

My Little Pony in real life, colorized.

Hello, great videos.

"Nieeeeeeeeeeh"! -Pony Express mailman's horse, 1860

Thank You for this interesting and informative video. Apologies if my following statement is false but I think I have seen a video about Pony Expresss on this channel some time ago,could be dating back 2,3 or more years. I even recongise some of the narration,so I'm curious if this video is a reupload. Regardless, Thank You Simple History for putting out high-quality content that is both educational and entertaining in this man's humble opinion. I hope everyone reading is having a wonderful day/evening.

"Y'all got a parcel!" - Fairly Odd Parents - Odd, Odd West

14 year old in the 1860's: Riding a horse through the country, passing in Indian territory, in the start of the Civil War. 14 year old nowadays: Cringe TikToks, Belly Eyelash, Cringe "Deep" posts, Thinks it can commit murder and can get away with it but it can't ask for extra ketchup in McDonalds, uses Depression and Suicide for attention. (Wait isn't the last one Gacha Kids?)

Good video

A couple of points. The Pony Express was not part of the US Post Office. It was a private company, owned and operated by the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company. Second, what you referred to as 'staging stations' were called 'home stations' where the rider was replaced by a new one.. Between them were 'swing stations' where a new horse was ready at each of them. The distances varied widely. For instance, between the home stations of Seneca and Marysville, KS, there is a distance of just over 30 miles. Between the two, there were two swing stations, Ash Point and Guittard's. Marysville is about 112 miles west of St Joseph, and there were only two home stations between them, with 11 relay stations strung out along the route, so the average distance between them was less than 10 miles. Whilst I'm not an expert by any means, I did grow up on the trail, have often visited the Pony Express Museum in my hometown of Marysville and the museum in the Hollenberg relay station, the only unaltered Pony Express building on the route. Also, growing up, I had friends who lived in the (very much altered) Guittard's relay station building.

Love it simple history

My kids Love you're videos thanks for the awesome history lessons 😄😊

You should make one on Wild Bill Hickock, also, Billy is holding a colt SAA, which was first produced in 1873.

"Ingenious solution"? Weren't the Romans doing relay postal services 2000 years prior?

1:11 yeah they "came up" with a technique that was known through the ages before US of A even existed

Comments: 4 days ago Video: 16 seconds ago What. Edit: oh yeah they're exclusive members

"Im the mailman" -Pony Express mailman, 1860

good video

That one Google Doodle game got me really into the Pony Express history to be honest

I kept hearing about the Pony Express in TV shows and movies, but I never knew what it was about, until now.

Nice 👌

I’m from saint Joseph as well, always love that pony express pride!

Why did I think of that old movie: The Polar Express..

This is badass

Perfect timing

Ngl this is one of the most under appreciated events in history

History is the best subject 🔥

Who wants to re-create this in Red Dead Redemption 2?

Last time I was this early the video was delivered via Pony Express

You are the best historian in the world

You guys should make a video over the boer war

If the 14 year old just ran towards the crate and grabbed it, he would've unlocked the Gatling.

Back when I was in school we were taught about this in history class.

🎶🎵”My Lit-tle Po-ny (Express), My Lit-tle Po-ny (Express)! Ah-ah-ah-ahhhh!”

I literally watched the 1950s movie just yesterday. Perfect timing.

FINALLLYYYYY

Did they carry a big iron on their hip?

Well pardner, i reckon I got early access Time to hit that dusty trail Yee haw!

I have a copy of that very pony express poster featured at the end framed on my wall.

I legit JUST read this is class

That 14 year old kid was a beast of a kid man. Think about it, he probably had a six shooter revolver or a lever action rifle, or maybe both and took down 7 men alone.

This is odd considering I drove past one of the old stations yesterday and that I began my trip from St.Joseph to California for work Thursday.

Nice

I wish there is a video for good canons (old ones, like on wooden ships)

hello it was so good

14 yearold, 1860: I'll ride a dangerous route to deliver mail, it may get me killed. 14 yearold, 2021: I'm gonna eat tidepods and complain about how my parents bought me the cheap xbox Me: The world is truly screwed

Simple History is an awsome channel. It would be cool to see them do a few one off pro wrestling videos. Like Dark Side of the Ring on Vice tv. Tell some of the tragic or downright insane real life storys of wrestlings rich history. Its a business where fact is often stranger than fiction.

Still probably got Mail delivered faster than USPS did in 2021. I’m still waiting on a card my mom sent on 02/01/2021 and it’s almost March now!

Everybody outlaw till the pony express appears over the horizon.

I remember this in class.

To quote The Lone Ranger:"Hi-ho,Silver! Away!!!"

I can only imagine a sort of rebirth where rail transported the bulk of letters & such while the Pony Express delivered the more finely targeted locations & such…

2:50 man what an American legend. I’m surprised I’ve never heard of this boy.

Video on siege of tsingtao would be cool