New Face on the $20 Bill?

New Face on the $20 Bill?

Megan Geller

Treasury Secretary Lew proposed the idea of changing the face of the twenty dollar bill. The idea includes changing the bill from currently, the past president, Andrew Jackson, to Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman was a very influential African American woman who escaped from slavery and helped many others escape too through the use of underground railroads. Secretary Lew also said that in the future, other influential women and civil rights leaders would be added to the five and ten dollar bills as well.

Initially the thought was to replace Alexander Hamilton of the ten dollar bill for Harriet Tubman, but with the musical, Hamilton, that at that time when the idea of adding Harriet Tubman was just beginning, this was not a very popular action.

Additionally individuals will be now on the back of the ten dollar bill include: Sojourner Truth, Lucretia Mott,Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Hamilton will remain on the front.

Other changes are also being proposed to the bills of other values, but with all of these changes there is a controversy as to whether or not this change is needed. Many individuals feel that this is a good idea in order to embrace the transition that the United States has gone through regarding Civil Rights ever since the founding of the United States. Others feel that this is an unnecessary change that will cost more money to implement than is necessary and that there are other ways to honor civil rights leaders that are not as costly as changing the face on the dollar bills.

This change is the most radical fiscal change our nation has seen since 1929. 1929 was the year when paper money became very popular and was standardized in design and small size.