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"Harriet Tubman Bust Unveiling" by MDGovpics is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Image has been cropped and tinted
Harriet Tubman and the $20 Bill
Harriet Tubman and the $20 Bill
The heroic woman who led hundreds of slaves to freedom may soon replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill
The Current $20 Bill
On January 5th, the Biden administration announced plans to replace Andrew Jackson's portrait on the $20 bill with Harriet Tubman's. While this plan was proposed by the Obama administration in 2015, major delays and political controversy surrounding the change stopped the motion during former President Donald Trump’s time in office.
"7 Andrew Jackson" is in the public domain
The twenty dollar bill currently features the 7th President of the United States of America, Andrew Jackson. Originally, he was named as ‘the people’s president’ because of his insistence on individual liberty and the ideals of democracy. However, he also went down in history as the man behind the infamous "Trail of Tears," as he enforced the involuntary exodus of Native Americans even after a Supreme Court ruling declared the move unconstitutional. He openly defied the Supreme Court, refusing to honor its decision that the Trail of Tears was unconstitutional and famously remarking, "John Marshall [the Chief Justice] has made his decision, now let him enforce it." So instead of as a hero and strong leader, President Jackson is now seen by many as the man who sent tens of thousands of Native Americans on an unjust and often deadly journey away from their own land.
The Redesign
No definite timeline, design, or plans have been released to the public as of February, but multiple suggested drafts have been ‘published’ by fans and news outlets. Most redesigns showcase a simple image of Tubman based on her most famous portraits.
She would be the first woman to appear on American paper currency since Martha Washington appeared on the $1 Silver Certificate 135 years ago. However, multiple women, including Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea, and Helen Keller, have been included on various circulations of US coins.
Why Harriet Tubman?
Harriet Tubman is most well known for her tireless work with the Underground Railroad, a series of secure passages and safe houses that fugitive slaves used to escape their captivity. While documentation of these trips is very elusive, she recounted walking with at least 70 people in around 13 trips. Historians would later find out that she rescued around 300 people with her expertise and connections in the Railroad. She earned the nickname ‘Moses’ because of her great leadership in guiding these people to safety.
But along with her heroism came persecution. She became infamous not only among enslaved people, but among slave owners and Confederate generals. Bounties were placed on her and her family members’ heads while she was in the South, and the punishment for aiding escaped slaves could be anywhere from huge fines to public hangings.
Her courage and bravery in the Underground Railroad are well-known, but she did far more than many people think. Not only did she directly lead enslaved people to freedom, but she also volunteered as a nurse and spy in the Union Army.
Through her work with the Underground Railroad, Tubman made a name for herself among abolitionists and government figures. After the Civil War began, she volunteered for the Union Army as a laundress and general nurse. One day, she received orders from Massachusetts Governor John Andrew to form an elite spy ring. Her experience in the Underground Railroad made her the best possible candidate to gather information, form and find allies, and help her group evade capture.
She paired up with the Second South Carolina Volunteers, an all-Black regiment, and got to work. They planned to raid along the Combahee River, recruiting free men along the way. She and her scouts mapped out the area for the regiment and they went back to alert the slaves of their soon-to-be freedom.
"Harriet Tubman National Historical Park" by National Park Service is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Image has been cropped
They helped free over 700 slaves, recruiting another 100 freed men into the safety of their unit. These accounts are likely not the whole story of her heroic actions, as credit for Black women in historical accounts was sparse in the 1860s.
Her actions on the battlefield were astounding, but she didn’t stop there. While she was in the Union Army, she served as a nurse to wounded and diseased soldiers. Knowledge of the treatment for diseases like dysentery or smallpox was not widespread, so many soldiers died before they saw any combat. Using her impressive knowledge of folk remedies, she boiled the roots and herbs of common plants to ease these soldiers' pain or even save their lives.
Tubman did all of this while enduring awful pain from a childhood injury she got from her slave master. Because of this injury, she suffered from severe headaches, seizures, and even narcolepsy. She often claimed to have vivid visions, which she called premonitions, as a result. She never fully recovered, but she did make efforts with corrective brain surgery done in the late 1890s. During this procedure, she refused any anaesthetics and bit down on a bullet to subside the pain. It may not have been worth it, as she didn’t report any noticable differences in her health after the procedure.
"File:Statue of Harriet Tubman Ypsilanti Michigan.JPG" by Jane DeDecker is licensed under CC BY 3.0 Image has been cropped
She worked through debilitating pain, trance-like nightmares, and terrifying danger in service to her country, but she barely received any credit or compensation. Her one form of payment, $8 a month, came from her husband’s service in the Civil War. After countless attempts by Tubman and her colleagues, that $8 was increased to $20 a month based on her personal service as a spy and nurse, which seems another fitting reason for Tubman to be placed on the $20 bill.
Current Politics
With the multiple efforts from different parties on this issue, it’s likely the question is more of when will she be added rather than if she will be added. Biden’s administration has come in strong with a flurry of new plans, changes, and ideas, but a lot of their plans will take a very long time to amass the needed resources and votes. for
But while the change seems almost inevitable, there are those who oppose it. Former President Donald Trump has stated numerous times that he believes Andrew Jackson was an American hero deserving of his place on the $20 bill. He featured Jackson’s portrait in the Oval Office and stated that changing Jackson's image on the $20 bill would be “pure political correctness.”
With the announcement in late January, very little new information has come out regarding a specific timeline. So far, it’s only been mentioned occasionally as a goal towards which Biden's administration will stride.
The Debate
The impending change has incited a contentious debate. Some cite the extensive list of positive things that Jackson did for America and argue that he represents freedom. Others have begged a different question: would Harriet Tubman have appreciated the effort to be placed on currency? She may have preferred that more substantive changes be made in her name, rather than the focus being on the cosmetic issue of currency.
Some have suggested that putting Tubman on the bill would be insensitive, as it may be reminiscent of a time in which Black people were literally traded as currency. In fact, some slaves even appeared on Confederate currency. Harriet Tubman was an escaped slave with a bounty on her head. The symbolism of putting a formerly enslaved person on currency may be more significant than previously thought.
This image is in the public domain
The debate about whether Harriet Tubman's image should replace Andrew Jackson's on the $20 bill has been ongoing for years. Should Andrew Jackson's image be removed to reflect modern America's disapproval of his brutal treatment of Native Americans, or should it remain to reflect our commitment to the values of freedom and democracy? Should Harriet Tubman appear on the $20 bill to honor her tireless work and sacrifices on behalf of enslaved people, or should more substantive changes be made in her name instead?
Whatever your opinion, it's clear that Harriet Tubman was an incredible figure who made history with her courage and commitment to righteousness, and Americans will continue to honor her memory, whether her face appears on the $20 bill or not.
This is Alicia's second year at Edgewood and first year on the Edge staff. She loves writing, debating, and bettering Brevard. She hopes to educate and entertain the members of her community.
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