New face on the $20 bill

Parker Butler

Parker Butler, WTV Staff Reporter

On Wednesday, April 20th, the U.S. Treasury announced their decision to put Harriet Tubman on the front of the $20 bill, making her the first woman on U.S. paper currency in over a century. Andrew Jackson, the 7th U.S. President, will be moved to the back of the bill.

Tubman was known for her advocacy for women’s rights and abolitionism and her efforts in bringing slaves to safety through the underground railroad.

Originally, the treasury planned on replacing the portrait of the founding father, Alexander Hamilton from the $10 bill with Harriet Tubman, but after the exploding popularity of the broadway play Hamilton, which featured Alexander Hamilton, the decision to replace him with someone else became increasingly controversial and ultimately led to the treasury replacing Andrew Jackson instead.

The five and ten dollar bills will also be redesigned in the coming years and put into production within the next decade.

Social studies teacher Jeff Crowe discussed this decision and the historical implications with his AP World History class.

The official designs are not set to be revealed until 2020, just in time for the 100 year anniversary of women’s suffrage and the 19th amendment.