US $20 Bill Adds Woman's Face With Andrew Jackson - Who Is Harriet Tubman?

There's going to be a new face on the $20 bill as the U.S. Treasury Department announced it will be adding the portrait of Harriet Truman in a revised design. However, the face of Andrew Jackson will not be removed and instead, his portrait will be on the back of the bill. But who is Harriet Tubman and why was she chosen for the distinction?

According to Time, the U.S. Treasury Department went through the selection for over a year when it revealed plans to replace the designs of the dollar bills. The government agency specifically fielded suggestions for a woman to honor.

From the choices, Harriet Tubman became the frontrunner for two reasons: she was a woman of color who fought against slavery. Not only that, but she also knew why money really mattered.

The Significance of Harriet Tubman And The $20 Bill

Vox reports that Harriet Tubman, a former slave, worked as a spy, cook and nurse for the Union during the Civil War and she helped free hundreds of slaves. She also fought to get her pension when the war was over and succeeded to receive $20 a month. The government paid soldiers a pension of $25 a month.

"[Her] story reflects both American values and American democracy, but also the power of an individual to make a difference in our democracy," said U.S. Treasury secretary Jack Lew in another Time report. Historians describe Harriet Tubman as someone with a strong character.

Harriet Tubman knew she could do more if she had the money to help people, so she strived to work hard. She who acknowledged that her own freedom didn't matter if there were still other slaves in her midst.

"She really represents the highest ideals of community, working for the common good, thinking about others beside yourself, risking everything for justice," said Professor Kari Winter, who is an expert on slavery and dissent, per Washington Post. In a way, Harriet Tubman embodied what America upholds.

More Changes In The American Bill

In a press release, the U.S. Treasury confirmed that the front of the $20 bill will bear Harriet Tubman's image and the reverse or back side will have the images of President Andrew Jackson and the White House, as it currently appears.

It was earlier thought that Jackson's face will be completely replaced, but the treasury decided against it. The treasury is also changing the designs of the $5 and $10 bills to reflect African-American heritage and civil rights women.

"The country has changed. And the culture and the country and the politics need to change with it," said historian Robert Dallek, via Wall Street Journal. The designs to the new bills will be unveiled in 2020, but it won't be in circulation after a few years.