Staff Writers
Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew announced a very shocking change in monetary production and appearance on April 13. He proposed to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the twenty dollar bill.
Along with changes to the $20, feminist leaders are also vying for a spot on the five dollar bill. This is the largest change in currency since 1929, and the brand new bills could be in wallets by 2030. These new bills will have other modifications and improvements as well. One feature that is being considered is technology to aid the visually impaired.
Tubman will be the new face of the $20 bill because, Lew reports, “Her incredible story of courage and commitment to equality embody the ideals of democracy that our nation celebrates, and we’ll continue to value her legacy by honoring her on our currency.” The grand unveiling of these bills will coincidentally fall on the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
The 2016 democratic presidential candidates are showing a hugely positive response to Tubman replacing Jackson. Hillary Clinton, not surprisingly, is in great support of this new currency. Bernie Sanders is also an advocate for this monetary change. Both of these influential politicians have shared tweets showing their support. There are some supporters of Jackson who show opposition to this change, but the numbers are not in their favor.
