Treasury Decides To Put Harriet Tubman On $20 Bill

money harriet tubman
Wikimedia Commons
money harriet tubman
Wikimedia Commons

Treasury Decides To Put Harriet Tubman On $20 Bill

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Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew is expected to announce that he has decided to put Harriet Tubman on a new $20 bill, a Treasury official tells NPR’s Scott Horsley.

The decision caps a public campaign asking for the change and months of deliberation by the Treasury to either replace Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill or Andrew Jackson from the $20 bill.

As we reported, an unofficial contest by the activist group Women on 20s gave the nod to Harriet Tubman to take Jackson’s place on the $20 bill. The campaign then sent a petition to President Obama.

As we reported:

“We’ll note that Tubman’s appearance on the $20 bill would have a special historical resonance: That’s the same amount she eventually received from the U.S. governmentas her monthly pension for her service as a nurse, scout, cook and spy during the Civil War, as well as for her status as the widow of a veteran.”

The Treasury had previously said it would roll out a brand new $10 bill in 2020 and that it would feature a woman. But the popularity of the broadway show “Hamilton” seems to have put a stop to that plan.

In an interview with Charlie rose in March, Lew said, “Alexander Hamilton is one of my heroes. He’s not leaving our money.”

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