Soon, we may have our very first female president. But as we work up to that historic achievement, another exciting victory for women is taking place: The Treasury Department has announced that Harriet Tubman will become the face of the $20 bill, replacing seventh U.S. President Andrew Jackson.
Unfortunately, we’ve still got to wait awhile to see these bills in action—The New York Times reports that the designs won’t be ready until 2020, and the bills won’t actually go into circulation until the 2030s. Still, this is an amazing development: As a country, we’re finally recognizing an incredible woman, whom the United States enslaved, for the work she did to make the U.S. what it is today.
Originally, a woman was supposed to be the main face of the $10, replacing U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. But then (duh) the musical Hamilton came out, and the Treasury Department realized that Americans really don’t want to see that guy go. A woman will still be on the back of the bill, which means in a couple of decades, women will be on two whole pieces of American paper currency for the first time in centuries!
Jackson will still remain on the back of the $20, as great as it would be to have a whole bill all for women. But hey, this is still the BEST news! Let’s celebrate with a playlist full of Beyonce and Hamilton tunes.