On July 18, 1894, the post office issued the first US postage stamp printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). The BEP was established in 1862, following the outbreak of the Civil War. When the firing on Fort Sumter began, the nation was already on the verge of bankruptcy and was in no position to finance a war. This matter, along with other war issues, prompted President Lincoln to call a special session of Congress. During this session, secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase suggested issuing noninterest-bearing notes that would circulate as money and a system of domestic taxation.