Letter to Jack Lew, Secretary for the Department of Treasury - Retain Hamilton on Ten Dollar Bill

Letter

We, like you, believe America's currency sends a message both at home and abroad about our shared values, which is why we applaud your announcement that a notable woman will be featured on U.S. currency. However, we have to get that message right. We are concerned with your choice to feature a woman on the ten dollar bill, as opposed to the more prevalent twenty dollar bill.

As you know, the grassroots campaign to redesign the twenty dollar bill, Women On 20s, rightfully garnered the strong support of many Americans. The campaign highlighted that our currency is a way for our nation to make a statement about who we are and what we stand for. For this reason, we find it disappointing that Alexander Hamilton, one of the most influential interpreters of the U.S. Constitution, a passionate advocate for the abolition of slavery, and the founder of the nation's financial system, will be removed from our currency while President Andrew Jackson retains his place on the twenty.

Although President Jackson is celebrated for founding the modern Democratic Party, for his populist achievements, and for his military prowess, he was also a slaveholder responsible for the Trail of Tears, which forced southeastern Native American tribes into mass migrations that resulted in thousands of Native American deaths. President Jackson contributed to the United States' painful history in its treatment of Native Americans, one that we are still working to rectify. Furthermore, President Jackson was a fierce opponent of the central banking system and paper currency, making him an ironic choice to be immortalized on our currency.

We understand that the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence Steering Committee has recommended the redesign of the ten dollar bill due to concerns about counterfeiting. However, the decision to feature a woman on U.S. currency should be a thoughtful one and rooted in the desire to recognize her contributions to our country, not just secondary to other considerations. Our currency has been historically dominated by men, but the time has come for that to change.

In order to provide this long overdue recognition for the significant achievements and contributions women have made to the United States, we urge you to feature a woman on a more utilized denomination, like the twenty dollar bill. As you know, in 2014, there were 8.1 billion twenty dollar bills in circulation, compared with only 1.9 billion ten dollar notes. Given the fact that men are currently featured on all six paper currencies and all four of the most commonly used coins, redesigning the less-circulated ten dollar bill in a way that features a notable woman with Hamilton, as has been proposed, is simply not adequate.

The decision to add a woman to our paper currency is an important step forward for our country. We reiterate our deep concern with the effort to remove Alexander Hamilton from the ten dollar bill while preserving President Jackson on the more heavily-utilized twenty dollar bill.

We hope to work with you to preserve Alexander Hamilton's place on our currency while elevating a woman to a place she deserves. Thank you for your consideration.