The 1976 U.S. Bicentennial postal stamp set featuring Archibald Willard’s painting was issued with the name Spirit of '76.
The United States Postal Service issued a set of three stamps on January 1, 1976. Each stamp showed the well-known patriotic painting, and the stamps carried the words “SPIRIT OF 76” rather than a longer explanatory title.
The painting itself had originally been called Yankee Doodle before it acquired its famous later name. The stamp issue helped spread the image during the Bicentennial year and connected a nineteenth-century artwork with the nationwide 1976 observance.
The issue is part of the broader Bicentennial Series, which included stamps depicting state flags, Revolutionary War subjects, Benjamin Franklin, and other themes. It should not be confused with a single stamp showing the entire Declaration of Independence.