After a public campaign and months of deliberation, the United States Treasury has received executive approval to put the image of abolitionist leader and Underground Railway hero, Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.
NPR reports
Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew is expected to announce that he has decided to put abolitionist leader Harriet Tubman on a new $20 bill, according to a spokesman for the Treasury Department.
The decision caps a public campaign asking for the change and months of deliberation by the Treasury to either replace Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill or Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.
As we reported, an unofficial contest by the activist group Women on 20s gave the nod to Tubman to take Jackson’s place on the $20 bill. The campaign then sent a petition to President Obama.
“We’ll note that Tubman’s appearance on the $20 bill would have a special historical resonance: That’s the same amount she eventually received from the U.S. government as her monthly pension for her service as a nurse, scout, cook and spy during the Civil War, as well as for her status as the widow of a veteran.”