Harriet Tubman to eventually replace Andrew Jackson on $20

Posted April 2021

By Rachel Cairns

Staff Editor

With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the discussion of putting Harriet Tubman on the front of the $20 bill in place of Andrew Jackson is back in full force, with President Biden and his team working towards making it happen.

The discussion of putting Tubman on the $20 was brought up in 2016 at the end of President Obama’s last term in office. However, the movement was put on hold by the Trump Administration. Donald Trump said that he is a fan of Andrew Jackson who is currently on the front of the $20. Now with the Biden Administration in office, the movement to change the bill is back in consideration.

The design of the new bill is being led by Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew. It will depict Tubman on the front of the bill and Jackson on the back.

Tubman was born into slavery in March of 1822 in Maryland. For most of her young life, she was enslaved and beaten by many masters. In 1849, Tubman escaped to Philadelphia and soon after returned to Maryland to save her family. In small groups at a time she would save family and friends through the Underground Railroad. Because of this, Tubman earned the nickname, "Moses of her people." She died on March 10, 1913, going down in history as one of the many people saving slaves by way of the Underground Railroad.