Issued in Portland, Oregon, this stamp, Scott #1476, was the first in the "Rise of the Spirit of Independence" series. It pays tribute to the vital role of printers and pamphleteers in the American Revolution. The image depicts a colonial printer and a patriot examining a newly printed pamphlet, a scene that underscores the power of the press in disseminating ideas and fostering a collective colonial identity. Figures like Thomas Paine, with his electrifying pamphlet "Common Sense," demonstrated how these publications could mobilize a populace. Paine's work, which argued for independence in clear and accessible language, sold hundreds of thousands of copies and was read aloud in taverns and public squares, galvanizing support for the revolutionary cause. This stamp serves as a reminder that the fight for independence was a war of ideas as much as it was a war of arms.