A brief guide to all of the civil rights pioneers that will soon be appearing on U.S. currency

By Fusion Staff  |  April 20, 2016 | 9:46pm
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Today, the Treasury Department revealed that it will be swapping in Harriet Tubman for Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill.

Politico reported that the $20 isn’t the only bill that will look different: We’re going to see new faces on $5 and a new $10 as well (though Alexander Hamilton’s visage will remain on the front of the $10 bill). Now, the Treasury Department has confirmed which historical figures will be featured on the new currency.

“As I said when we launched this exciting project: after more than 100 years, we cannot delay, so the next bill to be redesigned must include women, who for too long have been absent from our currency,” Treasury Department Secretary Jack Lew said in a statement posted to Medium. “The new $10 will honor the story and the heroes of the women’s suffrage movement against the backdrop of the Treasury building.”

Here’s the breakdown:

The new $5 bill

The theme of the bill is the Lincoln Memorial, and Abraham Lincoln’s face will stay on the front of the $5 bill, but the back will celebrate Marian Anderson, a singer who performed on the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 after the Daughters of the American Revolution blocked her from singing at the Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

The bill will also feature First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a leader in the women’s movement who helped secure Anderson’s ability to perform at the Lincoln Memorial (and resigned from the DAR over their treatment of Anderson). Finally, the $5 will feature Martin Luther King, Jr.

The new $10 bill

The reverse side of the $10 bill will be dedicated to the leaders of the women’s suffrage movement. Singled out are those women who demonstrated for their right to vote during the March of 1913 in Washington, D.C., including:

Susan B. Anthony, perhaps the most prominent women’s suffrage activist.

Alice Paul, one of the activists who helped write the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

Sojourner Truth, a black woman who was a prominent figure both in the abolitionist and suffrage movements.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who championed women’s reproductive rights in addition to the abolition and women’s movements.

Lucretia Mott, a Quaker who was deeply involved in the anti-slavery and pro-woman movement, and advocated for religious reform.

The new $20 bill

Harriet Tubman will be on the front of the $20, and Jackson will be placed on the back.

Danielle Wiener-Bronner is a news reporter.

 
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