We Could Have Alexander Hamilton and a Woman on the $10 Bill

Earlier this week, The New York Times wrote an article entitled “Hamilton May Stay on the $10 Bill, Thanks to Help From Broadway,” which revealed that Hamilton (the Broadway sensation) might save Hamilton (the ten dollar founding father) from being removed from the $10 bill.

Last year, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that, for the first time in American history, a woman would be on the $10 bill, presumably usurping Alexander Hamilton. That was before Hamilton and ensuing national fascination with the founding father, however, and some people don’t want to see the country’s first Treasury secretary replaced, especially when Andrew Jackson is still being honored on the $20 bill despite his genocidal legacy.

It’s about time we boot Jackson from the $20 bill and replacing him with a woman, but I see no reason we can’t celebrate Alexander Hamilton and an amazing lady (or ladies) on the $10 bill, as well. Our paper money has always exclusively honored men, having women on two bills now hardly seems like overkill—and I suspect a lot of Hamilton fans would agree.

Hamilton represents America the way it actually looks, and that includes, and has always included, incredible women. Miranda’s musical manages to celebrate the achievements of the founding fathers without denying their occasional sexism or the erasure of American women’s achievements, and I’d like to see more of our money and other national symbols do that a well.

Women on 20s, a group that’s advocated to replace Andrew Jackson with an American woman of achievement, has suggested a particularly great alternative for the $10 bill. The New York Times explains:

Women On 20s has proposed a compromise, supported by NOW, to keep Hamilton alongside a woman chosen by Treasury and change the opposite side of the $10 bill, replacing the image of the Treasury building with a vignette of nearly a dozen female historical figures.

“That’s not in lieu of having the prime territory, which is the portrait side,” Ms. Howard said. A woman’s portrait could replace Jackson’s the next time the $20 note is redesigned, she said.

During his recent trip to D.C., Lin-Manuel Miranda discussed the bill with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew:

I talked to @USTreasury about this on Monday. Sec. Lew told me “you’re going to be very happy.” #wegetthejobdone https://t.co/ZkLFuSmz8M

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) March 16, 2016

A Treasury spokeswoman told The New York Times of Miranda’s visit,

On Monday, Secretary Lew welcomed Lin-Manuel Miranda to the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Secretary and Miranda talked about the enduring mark Alexander Hamilton left on our nation’s history, and the Secretary provided a brief tour of Hamilton’s possessions and portraits on display at the Treasury Department.

The Secretary thanked Miranda for the ingenious way in which he has been able to tell Hamilton’s story and ignite a renewed interest in one of our nation’s founding fathers. Secretary Lew also reiterated his commitment to continue to honor Alexander Hamilton on the 10 dollar bill.

The most pressing question here, of course, is how do people at the Treasury get anything done with the amount of Hamilton singing breaks they must have to take? I don’t know how it’s possible to have these serious debates about Hamilton (the ten dollar founding father, got a lot farther by working a lot harder, by being a lot smarter, by) without a good 25% of the work (work, looking for a mind at work) day being devoted to show tunes.

(via Jezebel, image via Shutterstock)

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