Suggestion For Harriet Tubman

Instead of replacing Andrew Jackson on the twenty, I opine that Tubman replace "Honest Abe" on the five. After all, "Honest Abe" is already on the penny.

 

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I don't think it is as much of an effort to get Tubman on the Twenty as it is to get Jackson off. IMO

 

I say honor her on a commemorative coin and be done with this political nonsense.

 

I think maybe it would just be a better idea to just make a commemorative bill instead of getting rid of Jackson. Just print a separate bill with Harriet Tubman on a $20 or $25 in addition to the Andrew Jackson bill.

 

According to this logic, should Washington be removed from the $1 note because he’s on the quarter and Jefferson on the $2 note because he’s on the nickel ?

 

I'd love to see Teddy Roosevelt on money someday. IMO we should make new designs for all the notes, not just the $20. It would be best to keep them apolitical too.

 

I think it's about time to represent all ethic groups on our currency and coins; if we are going to use historical figures. I'm not trying to sound politically correct but the reality is, our currency reflects the white male dominance in our history. I'm not trying to diminish the contributions of these great Americans in our history. But if we are going to use pictures of historical figures on our currency and our "circulating" coinage, we need to do a better job in representing all Americans.

 

Allegorical figures and scenes, please.

 

^What @wxcoin said

We are now far more than a nation of dead white men. The founders have been honored over and over again and will doubtless continue to receive honors as long as the nation lasts. It is not "politically correct" to diversify the currency, it's simply being more representative and accurate about the true makeup of the nation. The arguments used against Tubman on the $20 could be applied to just about anyone who doesn't count as a "founder." Maybe that's the whole underlying point of such arguments? I don't know.

If we somehow can't find a way to put a non-white person on our currency, then we could at least replace the relatively more contentious Jackson with John Adams. Adams, though not among the "great" presidents, played a crucial role in the revolution and he never owned slaves. He should have served as a moral example on this issue to his contemporaries and colleagues, people such as Washington and Jefferson who owned hundreds. Adams remains the only major founder not to succumb to the "peculiar institution" and he doesn't get the credit that he deserves for it.

 

And, I'd add, even if we're using allegorical figures.

I know there would be furious push-back against it; I remember all too well the howls of outrage and disgust at the 225th Anniversary Gold in 2017. That still sits badly with me.

 

No more people of any kind on any of our currency and there would be no political arguments about who and why they should be there. Use the eagle in all it's different positions, standing, in flight, etc. Or honor our national heritage like parks. No matter if they have been done on coins. There's more space on a note to do better than was done on the coins. How about endangered animals?

 

I'm not so sure why the US has been stuck on having the same tired political figures on currency for the last 120+ years. A lot of other countries feature authors, poets, scientists etc.

 

I see what you are saying but I think you are missing a few major details.

The people who are on the bills are past presidents who have done good for our country.

You can't just get rid of them because they are "dead white men" as you call them.

We have had multiple historical figures on our currency who aren't white males. For example: Sacagawea, Susan B. Anthony, Hellen Keller, Martha Washington, etc.

If you want to honor someone by putting them on our coins or currency, it should be because of the good they have done for the country and not because you want the currency to be more diverse.

 

Not Hamilton. Or Franklin. Neither were past presidents. Make sure you have your own details straight before accusing others.

You're twisting my words. I never said we need to get rid of them because they are "dead white men." I said we are more than a country of dead white men and our currency should reflect that.

But I do agree, anyone on the currency should have some historical significance. But we should also diversify beyond the "dead white men" who have almost exclusively been on the currency for over 100 years. There are plenty of diverse people who have done good for our country. We should also honor them.

 

The problem with history is that it's usually written by those in power. Being president doesn't automatically make you special; you typically bask in the accomplishments that happened during your tenure in office. It's usually the blood, sweat, and tears of others that makes the tenure of a president successful. Why haven't there been minority presidents during our first two centuries of existence? I think we all know that answer. I don't want to diminish the accomplishments of our past presidents but society has had a direct influence on who have been elected. I try to put myself in the shoes of someone who isn't like me, white male, and wonder how I'd look at the figures on our currency and coinage.

 

I don't want to get into an argument but I don't see how Hamilton was bad...

- Founding Father
- Founder of the Nations Financial System
- Founder of US Coast Guard
- Founder of The New York Post Newspaper
- Helped draft US Constitution and signed it

And a lot more

 

I completely agree with that.

 

I updated my post to be clearer, but I was only responding to the claim that people on the bills were past presidents. But you twisted my words again. I didn't say that Hamilton was bad. You inserted that. I also added Franklin, who is on the $100 bill but was never a past president. I am a HUGE fan of Franklin's and I wish he would have lived long enough to be president.

 

Ohhhhhh I see what you mean. I thought you were saying that Hamilton was bad lol. You meant he wasn't a president.

I am not trying to twist your words, it just wasn't very clear. I am just having a civilized discussion.

 

Identity politics will be our demise, folks. No multiethnic, multiracial, or multicultural nation such as ours will prosper in the long term from something so divisive.

If we cannot simply appreciate people, past or present, for their achievements or simply as fellow humans without incessantly lumping them into categories based upon immutable characteristics, perhaps doing away with human representations on coinage would be for the best.