The Potential Refacing of the $10 Bill

Alexander Hamilton is by far one of the most popular presidents in our era, specifically thanks to his starring role in the up and coming musical “Hamilton”, which you can learn more about here. But, his accomplishments aren’t just limited to the world of stage. I was inspired to discuss him and his accomplishments after I discovered this article by the author of “Alexander Hamilton”, the book which inspired Lin-Manuel Miranda to create the hip hop phenomenon that is now sweeping our nation. Surprisingly, it doesn’t seem as though the article has gone viral in the least, perhaps due to the fact that most normal people wouldn’t debate over the face on their $10 bills. Normal people just care that they have money in their hands. However, Ron Chernow has brought light to a situation which I had previously not even known existed.

I, of course, knew of the situation in a minor, vague sense of the term. The debate of placing a prominent American woman on the face of our currency is longstanding, and finally steps had begun to be taken to secure this goal. The woman (though still undecided), was to replace Alexander Hamilton on the face of the $10 bill, and Hamilton would be moved to the back, in a less prominent position. Of course, the internet is outraged at this as well. Being a feisty anonymity, the internet struck back against this idea. Women believed that when the female figurehead would finally be put on the bill she shouldn’t have to share the space. This was all prior to the rise in popularity of Alexander Hamilton thanks to the hit musical Hamilton, which you can learn more about here.

With discontent flying, plans for the $10 bill remained solidified, and Hamilton rose to promise in the midst of the debate. Now, the internet had another problem with refacing the bill. Hamilton was our nation’s first secretary of treasury. He established the first national bank. He created our coast guard, and was essential to the development of the system of currency we use today. Without him, our country may have never been able to achieve economic freedom and self-sufficiency. How could we even consider taking the creator of American currency off of American currency? Simply put, Hamilton may have saved Hamilton.

With the new popularity of Hamilton, and the protests of it’s fans, replacing Hamilton began to seem impossible. Yet, the original protesters, the women who so avidly advocated for the placement of a woman on our nation’s currency, were not budging. They weren’t willing to compromise, and even with the suggestion of replacing President Jackson on the $20 bill, these female advocates were still hesitant. After all, if they ceded on this, they may need to cede again, or may find a women on the back of the currency they were promised a spotlight on.

In my opinion, Jackson should be replaced, and promptly so. His murder of countless Native Americans alone leaves him with a tarnished reputation, not to mention his countless other misdeeds. Read this article for further information. He , overall, caused much more trouble than he really was worth, and his placement on the $20 bill should most certainly be wavering based on that alone. With the need for a place for women on currency, the $20 seems to be the best bet for a female figurehead.

The debate still remains on who to place on the face of the bill though. American women have accomplished a great deal in their short time of being able to vote, and women are often the unsung heroes of the time before our voting rights, often being a driving force between social movements. There are hundreds of women with lasting impacts on our country, and they all have achieved great things. We have yet to have a woman as president, and the tradition is to place people on currency post-mortem, meaning that no woman alive is likely to make the cut. Pocahontas has a movie. Sacajawea has a coin. But who will be the first woman on paper money? Perhaps a woman’s suffrage activist, such as Susan B. Anthony, or an abolitionist like Harriet Beecher Stowe. Maybe little known Nellie Bly, who pioneered women in journalism, or Amelia Earhart, who attempted to fly solo around the world. It could even be Rosa Parks, for her work on civil rights, or Eleanor Roosevelt for her humanitarian efforts worldwide. With so many to choose from, I eagerly await the decision of the higher ups, and rest easy knowing that if they choose wrong, internet activists will quickly go to work.