Photo via Huffington Post
“I’m sorry Mr. Jackson, I am fo’ real .”
On Wednesday, April 20, Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew announced that Harriet Tubman would be replacing former President Andrew Jackson as the face of the 20 dollar bill. This release is part of a plan for the first large-scale alteration to American currency in a century. Not only is Tubman scheduled to replace Jackson but plans to add important historical woman and civil rights figures to the 10 and 5 dollar bills were also announced by Lew.
These changes include the additions of the 1913 march in support of women’s suffrage to the back of the 10 dollar bill and Eleanor Roosevelt and Dr. Martin Luther King to the back of the five. There has been a fair amount of controversy surrounding these changes, as the first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, was originally proposed to get axed from the 10 dollar bill he currently resides on. However, an unlikely surge in popularity brought on by the hit Broadway musical, “Hamilton”, won the author of The Federalist Papers many stalwart fans. Even the creator of musical, Lin-Manuel Miranda, lobbied the Treasury on Hamilton’s behalf. Hamilton’s defenders claimed that he is a much more appropriate figure to have on American currency.
Jackson was one of the main architects of the American financial system and was, rather ironically, opposed to paper money and made it a goal of his second term to destroy the National Bank.
On the other hand, Tubman, an escaped slave who returned to the south to lead over 300 other slaves to freedom, has seen little controversy in her appointment.
She’s been receiving the support of female lobbyist groups, both Democratic candidates, and even the current Secretary of the Treasurer.
It was about a year ago when Lew first announced the idea to redesign the bills. He decided to open it up to public opinion and see what people were thinking about who should be represented on our currency.
“The pattern became clear that Harriet Tubman struck a chord with people in all parts of the country, of all ages” said Lew.
Lew predicts that the plan is to unveil the new bills in 2020 which aligns with 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave woman the right to vote.