Patriotic covers….politically themed designs and propaganda placed on mailing envelopes…is as American as apple pie and almost as old. Even before the first shot was fired in the War Between the States, volleys of political rhetoric were flying thanks to patriotic covers. Freedom of speech was being exercised on the envelopes traveling through the U.S. Mail.
 
Envelopes purchased by the public at large for their regular correspondence began to carry the ideological sentiments of their makers. Some were expressions of National patriotism while others presented negative opinions on any of the major issues at the heart of the War. Some the most popular and interesting Civil War patriotic covers are unflattering caricatures of ‘the enemy’ from both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.

 
With the help of patriotic covers, a correspondent could use patriotic-theme envelopes to express a wide variety of sentiments. During a turbulent period that elicited strong opinions from citizens, the appeal of ‘making your voice heard’ in this way was a popular one.
 
Patriotic covers and their attempt to influence the pro- and anti-nationalist sentiments were not used to any major extent prior to the Civil War. Earlier illustrated envelopes offered propaganda on specific topics. Covers came out for and against Intemperance, Cheaper Postage Rates, Anti-Slavery, and other issues of the day.
 
The few patriotic themes that were used on envelopes prior to the Civil War were generally limited in their scope and intent. The majority of them were printed in connection to political campaigns. Everything changed on April 12, 1861 with the bombardment of Fort Sumter and the official start of the war. The escalation of hostilities and the clearly drawn line between Us and Them created an explosion of Civil War patriotic covers.
 
So in the same way that the American Revolution gave birth to a nation, and the War Between the States gave birth to Patriotic Covers.
 
World War II gave birth to another boom of patriotic covers, some more are than others. Many specially prepared covers served as major propaganda media during the war. A design memorializing the fall of Corregidor in 1942 is a prime example.
 

However, most of the major cachet-makers were not active until 1944 and 1945, so it is very difficult to find covers for specific events in the early years of the war. A very popular collecting specialty with prices from $5 to about $250.