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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsAlexander Hamilton's descendant rankled at $10 bill change
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Doug Hamilton is just fine with plans to put a woman's portrait on U.S. paper money, but he'd prefer it if the Treasury Department would leave the $10 bill alone particularly the prominent visage of his great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Alexander Hamilton.
The 10-spot is a source of family pride in Hamilton's house in suburban Columbus, a dignified symbol of the historical importance of his ancestor, whose picture has been on it since 1929. So naturally, Hamilton started making some noise when he heard about the proposal that has Alexander Hamilton sharing the note with a deserving woman yet to be chosen.
The 64-year-old salesman for IBM has joined a growing number of voices in a backlash against what he calls the "diminishing" of Hamilton, the first secretary of the Treasury who founded the nation's banking system.
"He's the father of paper money," says Doug Hamilton, who has a son and grandson carrying the name of their famous ancestor. (His daughter, Elizabeth, was named for Alexander Hamilton's wife.)
Read more: http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/business_news/article_21e86025-da33-5386-a7d3-88035946b585.html
MADem
(135,425 posts)And I agree with his logic, too.
CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)he wasn't the father of paper money. the Chinese had it for centuries before the US and Europeans were using it in the 1600s. The man sounds kind of ignorant about his own ancestor.
JI7
(89,250 posts)merrily
(45,251 posts)woman on another bill, but in addition.
The reason they are talking about a female now is that the 100th anniversary of female suffrage is approaching. I think the woman put on a bill for commemorating women's suffrage should be a hero of something related to women having the vote. I very much favor an African American "suffragette," though I would also like to see other African American heroes on other currency. That should have happened on the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, but we still had fucking Jim Crow then.
Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)I don't think so.
Paper money originated in China.
The first European country to introduce it was Sweden, in the 1600s. Unfortunately, it was such a disaster that its main promoter, a banker, was sent to jail.
The only time paper money was used to any great extent in the colonies/states during Hamilton's time was the Continental Currency, an experiment with paper that was such a disaster that it gave rise to the expression, "Not worth a Continental".
merrily
(45,251 posts)Art_from_Ark
(27,247 posts)I just have to rain on everyone's parade [URL=http://www.sherv.net/][IMG][/IMG][/URL]
LostOne4Ever
(9,289 posts)merrily
(45,251 posts)PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)There was a "Woman on the 20" movement which promoted this cause.
Jackson should be the one replaced, not Hamilton.
Johonny
(20,851 posts)so there is a huge movement not to change it because it is generally accepted in many countries whose currency is less than stable. Knowing that and having traveled to those countries, I wouldn't change the 20$.
BKH70041
(961 posts)I'll predict if they do anything at all their will be one of the bills that share a woman's image with the one that's already on it now. Not at the same time, but 1/2 the bills printed are the current person and the other half the new person.
As for the $20, I prefer to leave Jackson on there. He's a good member of the Democratic Party and whose life embodies the foundations upon which the party still functions today.
kentuck
(111,098 posts)What the hell are you Republicans talking about??