Saturday, June 17 — America’s first accident insurance company was chartered on this date in 1863 in Hartford, Connecticut. It was the Travelers Insurance Company — still with us today as the Travelers Companies — and its first policies insured against loss during periods of travel only.
In 1864, the charter was amended to cover all manner of accidents. The first such rider, sealed with a handshake, was to insure James Bolter of Hartford for $5,000 against accidents on his walk between his home and the post office. The premium for this coverage was two cents. Premiums have risen considerably since Mr. Bolter put in his two cents.
The 177,000 insurance carriers in the country have annual business revenues of around $2 trillion.
You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online here.
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