How to vote:
Visit www.womenon20s.org Nominations: Alice Paul Barbara Jordan Betty Friedan Clara Barton Eleanor Roosevelt Elizabeth Cady Stanton Frances Perkins Harriet Tubman Margaret Sanger Patsy Mink Rachel Carson Rosa Parks Shirley Chisholm Sojourner Truth Susan B. Anthony
If it were up to Chattanooga's historian, Susan B. Anthony or Elizabeth Cady Stanton would replace Tennessee's own Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.
"The first woman we put on [our currency] has to be someone who fought for women's equality, but was never there to watch it take fruit," said Linda Mines, historian for both the city and Hamilton County. "I would be willing to give Andrew Jackson up in order to get a woman of substance on our money."
Mines, who is also the department chair of history and social sciences at Girls Preparatory School, said a national online campaign has sparked conversation among her students regarding the role of women in American history. The nonprofit campaign called Women On 20s is fighting to replace Jackson's face on the $20 bill with a woman's by 2020 - the 100-year anniversary of women's suffrage.
Women On 20s founder, Barbara Ortiz Howard, said it's her dream to honor the women who worked to shape this country by making them visible on currency.
"Recognizing women's historical accomplishments and contributions to our society by elevating them to their rightful place alongside men on our money is something that's long overdue," Howard said in a written statement.
Women On 20s launched in January with the compilation of a list of 100 American women of great stature and accomplishment. A group of judges shaved the list to just 15 names, and the public is now voting on the slate of candidates. Once this initial round of voting ends, the three women who receive the most votes will compete in a runoff.
The group has already received more than 178,000 votes, which is well above the 100,000 required to petition the White House for executive action. The president and Treasury secretary each have the authority to change the face that appears on U.S. currency without an act of Congress. The Treasury code only requires that portraits on paper currency be of individuals of great stature who are deceased.
The last face-swap on paper bills was in 1929, when Jackson replaced Grover Cleveland. The only woman to appear on American paper currency - not counting Lady Liberty - is Martha Washington, who was placed on an 1886 silver certificate. Helen Keller, Sacajawea and Susan B. Anthony have all been represented on coins, but none were widely circulated.
Jackson's appearance on the $20 bill is ironic, as he was a fierce opponent of central banking and paper currency - favoring "hard money" backed by gold and silver.
Howard said she chose Jackson for replacement because he was responsible for signing the Indian Removal Act of 1830, forcing thousands of Native Americans to relocate west on what's called the Trail of Tears.
Once the final three candidates are determined and final voting begins, Howard plans to add Wilma Mankiller's name to the list, as she was the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Mines said the Tennessean in her loves having the state's own historical figure on the $20 bill, as he was a significant figure in the War of 1812 and was the seventh president. But she also knows Jackson's legacy is cluttered with controversy.
"The reality is, as a historian most people either really, really love him, or they would really, really like to smack him for decisions he made at different times," she said. "Part of me mourns the idea that we might lose him, even though he, like most presidents, was a little bit broken."
Howard Kittell, president and CEO of the Andrew Jackson Foundation, described Jackson as a self-made man, who inspired Abraham Lincoln and was revered by Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt.
"Andrew Jackson was an iconic American who was considered in his time as the second George Washington and whose own story, from Revolutionary War orphan to war hero to president, became a metaphor for the emerging American identity," Kittell said in an email.
Kittell said the Foundation supports efforts to include women on U.S. currency, but they would be sad to see Jackson replaced.
"As keepers of Andrew Jackson's story, we are dedicated to reminding us all why there was an Age of Jackson, who he was, and why he was revered by so many," he said.
Whether Women On 20s is successful in elbowing out Jackson is not the most important part of this campaign for Mines and her students. They are just glad to see a national conversation taking place regarding the role of women in American history.
"I really do think we often look at parts of our lives politically and socially and don't ask questions," Mines said. " This seems to be a good conduit of conversation."
Contact staff writer Kendi Anderson at kendi.anderson@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6592.