US Stamps on oil and conservation US Stamps on oil and conservation

“Drill, baby, drill!” was an oft-repeated slogan during Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.  Trump has been a vocal supporter of fossil fuels and has also openly aired his skepticism of climate change. During his previous term, he even withdrew the US from participation in the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change mitigation.  In his inaugural address as President on 20th Jan ’25, he went a step further – he declared a national energy emergency and sought to reverse much of the green agenda of the Biden administration.  He reiterated his pro-fossil stance with the statement “We will drill, baby, drill”, adding that “We will be a rich nation again, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it.” Here we take a look at the history of the oil industry in the US and the move towards alternative energy through the medium of postage stamps issued by the country.   

The beginning of the modern petroleum industry in the US can be traced back to 1859 when Edward Drake successfully drilled an oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania using the salt-boring technique.  As the thick fluid gushed out of the well, the locals shouted “The Yankee has struck oil”, sparking a major oil rush in Pennsylvania.  A postage stamp celebrating 100 years of the US petroleum industry was issued in 1959. 

Some of the earlier oil related stamps from the US include the Statehood stamps for Wyoming and California.  The 1940 issue commemorates the 50th anniversary of Wyoming’s statehood and depicts the state seal with banners reading “Equal Rights”, “Livestock”, “Grain”, “Oil” and “Mines”.  In 1950, a 3 cent yellow-orange colored stamp was released to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the statehood of California.  The image displays a miner panning gold and a pioneer couple, along with citrus fruits, a steamship and oil derricks. 

California was the top oil producer in the US in 1903 and in the early part of the twentieth century, the state competed keenly with Oklahoma for the number 1 spot.  The discovery of the Glenn Pool oilfield in 1905 pushed Oklahoma into the big league and brought in substantial investment into the state.  A quote from the book “The Prize” states: “As boom followed boom in Oklahoma in the late 1920s, mud was the only thing that could slow down the movement of men and oil.”  The stamp for the state of Oklahoma published in 2011 as part of the Flags of Our Nation series shows oil pumping equipment, highlighting the significance of oil to the state’s development.  

The key protagonist of the American oil story was John D. Rockefeller, who was admired and loathed in equal measure for his business tactics.  Rockefeller rose from trading produce to eventually helming Standard Oil which became a major player in the global oil industry.  A postage stamp honoring him was interestingly released by Belgium, not the US.  However, in 2002 the US issued a postage stamp honoring Ida Tarbell, the investigative journalist who wrote a series of scathing articles on Standard Oil for McClure’s Magazine.  The articles were then published in book form as “The History of the Standard Oil Company”. Criticizing the business practices of J.D. Rockefeller, she wrote "Mr. Rockefeller has systematically played with loaded dice, and it is doubtful if there has been a time since 1872 when he has run a race with a competitor and started fair." In response, Rockefeller disdainfully addressed her as “Miss Tar Barrel”.  Finally in 1911, the US Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of Standard Oil.  

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Another lady journalist honored in 2002 stamp series is Nellie Bly whose original name was Elizabeth J. Cochran Seaman.  Besides being widely recognized as an intrepid journalist of her time, she is also credited as the manufacturer of the first practical 55 gallon steel oil drum.  

Banker,ss777 casino industrialist and politician Andrew Mellon also features prominently in the hydrocarbon narrative. Mellon had business interests in the booming oil industry and played a key part in building the Gulf Oil Corporation, which became a leading oil company.  A 1955 rose carmine colored postage stamp issued by the US commemorates his 100th birth anniversary.  

Some other instances of oil related stamps from the US include the 1975 stamp featuring poet and author Paul Dunbar.  It earns a mention in this list because of the kerosene lamp placed on the stamp besides his portrait.  A series with the transportation theme released in 1985 includes the 10.1 cent Oil wagon stamp.  This particular stamp refers to the time back in 1890s when the horse drawn oil wagon was used to deliver fuel to houses in rural places and small towns for heating, cooking and lighting purposes.   

A visit to the Oil memory on stamps would be incomplete without the inclusion of the 1968 issue of Henry Ford.  Ford was the founder of the Ford Motor Company and is credited for introducing the Model T car to the market in 1908.  The mass production of affordable automobiles spurred America’s desire for car ownership and created a huge demand for oil, in particular gasoline. 

As the hydrocarbon society began to take shape in the 20th century, higher oil prices and increased dependence on foreign supplies, particularly in the 1970s, led to an emphasis on conservation and a quest for new sources of energy in the US.  These realities were displayed on the 10 cent stamp from 1974 and twin 13 cent stamps printed by the country in 1977 with captions of “Energy Conservation” and “Energy Development”.  The 1974 stamp shows drops of gasoline while the 1977 stamps display a house, fuel container, the sun and a light bulb.   

Various energy sources were the focus of 1982 stamps published to mark the Knoxville World Fair’s Energy theme. Using graphic style artwork, the stamps featured four distinct types of energy: Solar, Synthetic Fuels, Breeder Reactor and Fossil Fuels.  In his opening remarks at the Fair, President Ronald Reagan noted “The theme of this fair, `Energy Turns the World', is appropriate for this decade, as our nation and many of our allies struggle to produce and use energy efficiently -- to provide for our energy security.”  

The growing usage of fossil fuels also triggered concerns about pollution and environmental impact.  The Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 in particular threw the spotlight on the need for environmental protection.  This theme was also emphasised in a set of four stamps issued in 1995 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Earth Day.  Titled “Kids Care about the Environment”, the stamps displayed artwork created by young children on the subject.  The drawings show a house using solar energy, the Earth being cleaned in a bathtub with a brush, a person planting a tree and finally, garbage being picked up from the beach. 

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A sixteen stamp set published in 2011 extends the “Go Green” campaign.  The stamps carry messages exhorting the public to embrace a green lifestyle by reducing environmental footprint, recycling plastic, planting trees, etc. 

The postage stamps published by the US, thus, provide a fine visual representation of the history and shifting trends in the hydrocarbon industry in the country. The Biden administration had sought to invest heavily in energy transition. But Trump has been swift to announce the end of the Green New Deal and electric vehicle mandate.  He further stated that the United States had “the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on earthhondawin, and we are going to use it.” With this pivot, the Trump 2.0 regime is boldly steering the nation back to being the Hydrocarbon Society.