Here's a fact about Harriet Tubman that makes her much more valuable than any money you could print.
A bit of history worth remembering.
Harriet Tubman and Andrew Jackson seem unlikely modern-day rivals.
Images via Thinkstock and Wikimedia Commons.
Yet, an organization has made them just that: Women on $20s ran a poll to see which woman should replace President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, and Harriet Tubman won!
Why a woman?
Image via Thinkstock.
For one, the U.S. has honored many historical figures by placing them on its money — but few women.
While women have been honored with coins, such as Sacagawea on the dollar coin, the lack of any women on paper currency needs to be rectified.
Martha Washington was the only woman to ever appear on American paper money (three times from 1886-1896) ... before women could even vote. Today, only men appear on America's paper currency.
Second, the average American woman's salary is less than a man's.
For every dollar a man makes, a woman takes home about 13-18 cents less. Is it any surprise that we've barely honored women on our money?
Women on $20s is seeking to rectify at least the first discrepancy. Once over 100,000 votes were tallied, the winner was announced:
Harriet Tubman!
Image via Wikimedia Commons (altered).
Runners-up included Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Wilma Mankiller.
Again, people wondered why. And you might too, maybe.
Even though Harriet Tubman and Andrew Jackson never met, they were rivals.
President Jackson owned slaves (about 150 at the time of his death), and Harriet Tubman freed slaves using the Underground Railroad.
Here's how many slaves she helped to freedom:
Images via Thinkstock.
That's 300 people saved with the help of one Harriet Tubman.
Isn't she a leader worth immortalizing?
