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A coalition of historians has issued a letter calling on the Trump administration to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman (at right) on the $20 bill. And the American Historical Association has endorsed the effort as well. "As the primary organization representing historians in the United States, and the largest professional organization of historians in the world, we take history itself seriously -- especially the deep influence of everyday portrayals of the nation’s past. Tubman’s heroic efforts on behalf of enslaved people seeking freedom, and on behalf of the nation’s military forces during the Civil War make her an appropriate symbol of freedom and the courageous patriotism required to end a system that former President George W. Bush has referred to as 'America’s original sin,'" says the AHA letter.
The Treasury Department pledged to replace Jackson -- seen by historians and many others as a racist president whose policies denied the rights of many -- with Tubman, the noted abolitionist. But the Treasury has in the Trump administration declined to say that it would make the switch. During the 2016 campaign, Trump questioned why Jackson (below) should lose his spot on the $20 bill.
