Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Our $10 Bills Soon Get A Touch Of Feminine Flair

The year 2020 will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Constitution's 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
As a sort of "anniversary gift" to the world, we will finally get a lady on a U.S. banknote.
All I can say is, it's about time!!  The last time a woman appeared on any sort of U.S. paper money was in the 1800s when Martha Washington's portrait was on $1 bills.  So, it was quite a momentous occasion when Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced that a woman would be chosen as the face of the new $10 bill.
I mean, these portraits don't change often!  The last time a change was made was between 1914 and 1928, when four portrait changes occurred.   At that time, the changes were Andrew Jackson to Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill, Grover Cleveland changed to Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, John Marshall changed to William McKinley on the $500 bill and Alexander Hamilton changed to Grover Cleveland on the $1000 bill.  So, four changes in early 1900s and none....ever.... since.
What makes me even MORE pumped on top of getting a woman's portrait on a bill is the way it is happening.... totally woven into the world of social media!  Historically, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has assisted the Secretary with advice on symbols and themes for currency.  But this time, the theme of the redesigned series of currency is DEMOCRACY.   Because of this, the public has the opportunity to influence Secretary Lew's decision.  The Treasury Department has launched a website (check out www.thenew10.treasury.gov) where you can leave comments and are encouraged to tweet with the hashtag #TheNew10.  Further building on this democracy theme, there will be round-tables and town hall meetings where Treasury officials will collect input.
But, some bad news for those Twitter folk who are nominating the likes of Taylor Swift and Beyonce to be featured on the bill.  As much as we love these divas, by law, only deceased persons may be included on banknotes.  Additionally, the campaign claims the woman should "be iconic and have made a significant contribution to - or impact on - protecting the freedoms on which our nation was founded".
So far, the major contenders seem to be Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and Susan B. Anthony.
Who would you vote to place on #TheNew10?

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