American Express started as a freight company and evolved into one of the world leaders in the credit card industry.

American Express Company was established in 1850 in New York and was among the first and most successful express delivery businesses to come to prominence during the westward expansion period of the United States. Part of the reason of their rise to prominence was due to the U.S. Postal Service being expensive, slow and frequently unavailable during that time period.

American Express served as a lifeline for our expanding nation. They delivered parcels, correspondence, freight, gold and currency on horseback or driving stagecoaches from the eastern cities to the western frontier. American Express quickly earned a reputation as the best company in the delivery business.

Even though in its early years American Express was not a financial services company, its biggest and most reliable clients were banks. Delivering the banks