History of American Currency

Recently the U.S Treasury Department announced that they would be taking Andrew Jackson off of the front of the $20 dollar bill, and replacing him with Harriet Tubman. Tubman will be making history as the first women on American paper currency, with Sacagawea being on the the $1 coin. 

Paper currency in the United States was born in 1690, in the form of colonial notes. They were first issued int he Massachusetts Bay Colony to fund British military expeditions. In 1775, the Continental Congress issued paper currency that, much like the Continental Congress, was highly ineffective. The phrase "not worth a continental", was coined since the Continental currency quickly lost value due to a lack of solid backing and a rise in counterfeiting. In 1776, the same year as the Battle of Yorktown, the first $2 note was issued, a note that would eventually have Thomas Jefferson on it. The first $10 notes were issues in 1861, featuring President Lincoln's portrait. In 1865, the United States Secret Service is created to actually combat counterfeiters, not fighting spies and protecting the president as many of us know them for today. Four years later, the centralization of printing of federal notes happens, and our currency is no longer produced by private companies and instead by the federal government. In 1889, the names that can be seen right under the portraits of historical figures were added, and a decade later the Jackson is put on the firth federal $10 bill. In 1957, the phrase "In God We Trust" was added to all of our currency. The early 21st century was the age of redesigned American currency, with the addition of Jackson onto the $20 bill, Hamilton on the $10 bill, and Lincoln on the $5 dollar bill. And now, in the next couple of years Tubman will be among the elite group of history makers that are allowed to grace the foundation of our professional lives. 

Sources: https://uscurrency.gov/history-american-currency