In the near future, when you look at a $20 bill, you won’t see the face of Andrew Jackson anymore. On April 20th, the Treasury Department announced that Harriet Tubman will be the new face on the $20 bill. Jackson will not be completely removed, however. He will appear on the back and be incorporated into the preexisting picture of the White House. “I honestly believe that it won’t change anything, but I’m all for it. Yes, it will cause controversy and people will hate it, but it’s $20 and 20 bucks will alway be 20 bucks,” said junior Aaron Schultz.

Many critics wanted Jackson to be replaced based on his taking part of violently removing Native Americans from the ancestral land. He was also a slaveowner. “I think the Treasury Department made a progressive decision to include Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. There is no reason why our currency can’t reflect more important people in American history,” said Mrs. Moore.

Harriet Tubman was a former slave who escaped the South before the Civil War, fleeing to Philadelphia. On her way to Pennsylvania, Tubman made use of the Underground Railroad for about 90 miles. When she was finally free, she made it her mission to free those who were slaves. Tubman became one of the most known conductors for the Underground Railroad.

Over the next four years, the $20 bill won’t be the only bill to be overhauled. The $5 bill will still have Abraham Lincoln on the front, but it is expected to have a depiction of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” Speech on the back. Also, the back of the $10 bill  will show the fight for women’s suffrage.

You can expect all of the new currency changes to be put in place throughout the next decade. Do you think it’s nice to see a fresh face on the bill or do you think changes are really necessary? Let us know at [email protected].