There has been a lot of talk lately about having a woman on the $20 bill rather than the current placeholder, Andrew Jackson. The main argument supporting the change is that Andrew Jackson simply does not embody the idea of American values — he was responsible for the annihilation of many Native American tribes in the Southeastern region of the country through the Indian Removal Act, he created the controversial spoils system, and he engaged in many duels, once killing a man for calling him a “worthless scoundrel, a paltroon and a coward.”
On top of all of that, it’s a bit ironic that Jackson is even featured on any bill considering the fact the detested paper currency and the Second Bank of the United States. This guy did everything in his power to make it known that he wasn’t a fan of the bank. So, it makes perfect sense to replace Jackson with someone else, and since there are so many women who represented the values our country was built on, why not place one of their courageous faces on the $20 bill? Here are my top 5 choices:
5. Betsy Ross
Betsy Ross was the creator of the first American flag, and she played a huge role in the American Revolutionary War. Ross showed leadership in a time when women were hardly looked at as leaders, and she was able to provide upholstery and other necessities for the war effort.
4. Sojourner Truth
This brave woman suffered the horrors of slavery until she decided to save herself when she saw no other way out: she escaped with her young daughter in the middle of the night. Sojourner Truth said this about her escape: “I did not run off, for I thought that wicked, but I walked off, believing that to be all right.” Once she was a free woman, she became a women’s rights activist as well as a preacher. You may have heard her famous speech, “Ain’t I a Woman?” Over 150 years later, the speech is still sending chills down the spines of its readers.Â
3. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Stanton stands out for her efforts to kickstart the women’s suffrage movement when she planned the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. Some issues that mattered to her were divorce rights for women, the right to fight for property, and better education for women. She was radical, unapologetic, and inspiring.
2. Helen Keller
Helen Keller was the first blind and deaf person to ever earn a Bachelor’s degree. She was also a political activist, a writer, a suffragist, a columnist, and an inspiration to Americans everywhere. Keller changed the way many Americans viewed disabilities, and people with disabilities. At the time, it was virtually unheard of for a blind and deaf person to engage in politics and write and publish essays. She also founded the Heller Keller Insitute, which focuses on research for vision.
1. Harriet Tubman
If any historic American woman is inspiring, it’s Harriet Tubman. Through the Underground Railroad, Tubman saved hundreds of slaves, and she never once lost anybody. She put herself in direct danger and dedicated her life to a cause that was bigger than herself. Something many people don’t know about Harriet Tubman is that she actually worked as a Union spy during the Civil War, letting the government know about the plans of the rebel forces. After the war, she worked tirelessly as a suffragist, even acting as a delegate at many women’s conventions. She did all of this while being fully illiterate. We may never fully comprehend the amount of bravery and grit this woman possessed.
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***Bonus option***
Beyonce.
Because if we had a Queen, it would be her. Obviously.