Over the last few months, there has been a social media campaign to put women on US currency. The campaign has been focusing on the twenty dollar bill since 2020 will be the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, where women gained the right to vote in the United States. Women on 20s, an organization advocating for women on currency, held a huge social media campaign and a national vote. Harriet Tubman was declared the winner.
On Wednesday, the Treasury Department announced they wouldn’t be redesigning the twenty dollar bill but they will be redesigning the ten dollar bill and holding their own social media vote for the winner. One can go to The New 10 website and vote or place your vote on twitter with the hashtag #thenew10.
This actually isn’t the first time a woman will be featured on US currency–Susan B. Anthony was on the one dollar coin from 1979 to 1981 and Sacagawea has been on one dollar coins minted since 2000. Even Martha Washington was briefly on one dollar silver certificates printed in 1886.
None of those coins caught on with the public. The ten dollar bill was chosen because it was in need of an update since it is too easily counterfeited. The new ten will be the first in a series of bills based around the theme of democracy. So, let’s all vote on who we want to see on our money!
