re: #212 jaunte

This contretemps highlights, once again, the extent to which the histories of particular groups and interests are now so often preferred to a larger, unifying American history. The current administration may have satisfied progressive demands momentarily. But we’ll be fighting this battle again, soon enough. You can put money on it.”

A larger unifying history? You mean one whitewashing the bad acts by our government?

Jackson was a new add to the $20. He was added in 1928. Why? Not even the Treasury seems to know the answer to that one. They just decided that Grover Cleveland was no longer worthy of adorning the $20.

So now, we’re going from Jackson to Tubman. And that’s somehow not part of a unifying American history?

Seriously? Tubman was at the forefront of the fight against slavery. A fight to be a better nation - and to end the insurrection against the Union launched by the South that seceded to preserve the institution of slavery where black men, women, and children were treated as chattel or worse.

The other changes to the $10 and $5 likewise add diversity and a history lesson.

Of course, history and facts are other things that the right wingers rail against. Knowing how and why women were denied the right to vote for so long, why minorities were treated awfully for so long, and why Jackson is being demoted (learn about the Trail of Tears sometime and how we still are doing wrong by Native Americans to this day) is something that the right can’t abide by.

History is passing them by, but they’ll get to see it as they buy and sell stuff in coming years.