There Will Be A Woman On The $10

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew announced yesterday there will finally be a woman on a U.S. paper note. The $10 bill will be redesigned to feature a woman starting in 2020 — the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

"America’s currency is a way for our nation to make a statement about who we are and what we stand for. Our paper bills — and the images of great American leaders and symbols they depict — have long been a way for us to honor our past and express our values,” said Secretary Lew. “We have only made changes to the faces on our currency a few times since bills were first put into circulation, and I’m proud that the new 10 will be the first bill in more than a century to feature the portrait of a woman." The last time a paper note featured a woman was 1896, when Martha Washington ended her run on the dollar silver certificate. But whoever is chosen this time won't be the only face on the bill. The New York Times reports the new design will still include Alexander Hamilton, a founding father, who is now the face of the $10. The nonprofit Women on 20s launched a campaign earlier this year, calling for the U.S. government to put a woman on the $20 (which features President Andrew Jackson). According to the organization's website, more than 600,000 people voted, choosing from a roster that included 15 notable American women, with former slave and freedom fighter Harriet Tubman winning the honor. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire was a very prominent voice in the campaign. In April, she introduced a bill that would encourage the Treasury to consider putting a woman on the $20, and she wrote to President Obama urging his support. Senator Shaheen tweeted her excitement over the news late Wednesday night.

The decision to put a woman on the $10 and not the $20 was an administrative one. According to the press release, the $10 was due for a redesign (which happens every 10 years) "to address current and potential counterfeiting threats." Secretary Lew said he will consult the public in deciding who should appear on the $10. You can take to Twitter to share your opinion with the tag #TheNew10. Lew will also host a series of town hall and roundtable discussions on the topic. Among names being thrown around? Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and of course, Harriet Tubman. But truly, there is no shortage of notable women to choose from. Secretary Lew will announce the winner by the end of the year.