Sometimes we welcome change, and at other times, we try to resist it. For example, when May arrives and summer is just around the corner we welcome this change; but if your parents told you that you have to move across the country at the end of the school year, responses may differ. But whether we like it or not, change always comes. A recent national change is the announcement that Harriet Tubman will replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. This decision has been in process for some time. At first a woman was going to replace Hamilton on the $10 bill, but then it was decided to remove Jackson. Responses to this decision have been varied. There have been those who are happy with this change, believing it supports diversity and feminism, and there are others who are more hesitant to change an established tradition. In my personal opinion, I believe this change should be welcomed for several reasons.
First, if we want this country to be more representative of its inhabitants, we must allow things to become more diverse. Tubman being the new face of the $20 bill supports feminism and represents minorities.
Second, Harriet Tubman is a good choice for the bill because she is an important figure in American history who helped make a positive change in our country. She heroically helped hundreds of slaves cross the Underground Railroad during the Civil War.
Third, while it is evident that Tubman is a good choice for the face of a bill, it is equally clear that Alexander Hamilton, who started the National Bank and heavily influenced American financial policies, is as well.
This is why Jackson is being replaced instead. Andrew Jackson was the seventh president of the United States and is known to have been a very charismatic, strong-headed man. One thing that Jackson is well known for is the Indian Removal Act. This Act led to the infamous Trail of Tears, in which 15,000 Cherokee people were uprooted from their land and forced to make the 2,000-mile journey out west. On this journey, 4,000 people died. The Indian Removal Act and the resulting deaths show that Andrew Jackson is probably not the man in our country’s history to be honored for his legacy.
In conclusion, this recent announcement that Jackson will be removed from the $20 bill and replaced by Harriet Tubman is a good thing for the country because it helps create diversity, an important thing even in the smallest of areas such as currency. It is also a positive step because it honors Americans who have made a positive impact on the future of our nation. Harriet Tubman is definitely someone who belongs on a monetary bill because she stood for values like freedom and justice, values for which I hope we all are willing to take a stand for one day.
