# Jackson on the $20 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2012, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541 "2012-11-01T08:55:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/1 "2012-11-01T08:55:55Z")
Andrew Jackson has been on the U.S. $20 bill for over 80 years. Among other things, he supported slavery and “ethnic cleansing” of Native Americans. I don’t know what he did in his presidency that has any relevance today. Why is he on our money, and who should be on it instead? ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/2 "2012-11-01T09:22:20Z")
He’s on your money because he was the most badass president ever. As to who should be on it instead? The truly American thing to do would be to privatize it, auction it off to the highest bidder. Whoever ponies up the most cash, gets their mug on it. Bill Gates, Sam Walton, the Koch Brothers, Ronald McDonald… ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/3 "2012-11-01T09:25:05Z")
Donald Trump ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/4 "2012-11-01T09:40:04Z")
I’ve long thought Jackson & Jefferson should go swapsies. Jackson is deserving of a bill, but not such a commonly circulated one. I also think the reverse image on the $2 (signing of the declaration of independence) is far more worthy for a high circulation bill than the reverse image on the $20 (the White house? Who cares?). ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/5 "2012-11-01T09:40:56Z")
If anyone else needs a reminder of who’s already on the currency, [list](http://www.who2.com/common-bonds/on-the-money) here. If Jackson were to go, the first replacement I can think of who’s not already honored is John Adams. Maybe also promote FDR from the dime to the $20. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/6 "2012-11-01T10:25:57Z")
Jackson’s number one thing was dismantling the Second Bank of the United States. He would be appalled at the Fed, and certainly wouldn’t want anything to do with a national currency. Hell, he was against currency in general, preferring specie. I’ve always kind of thought that putting him on the $20 was a nice “fuck you” to America’s most psychotic president. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/7 "2012-11-01T11:09:04Z")
> [@MandaJo](#): > > Jackson’s number one thing was dismantling the Second Bank of the United States. He would be appalled at the Fed, and certainly wouldn’t want anything to do with a national currency. Hell, he was against currency in general, preferring specie. > > I’ve always kind of thought that putting him on the $20 was a nice “fuck you” to America’s most psychotic president. I sometimes think that the government at times has had a wonderful sense of humor for a large entity. Arlington Cemetery is another “fuck you.” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/8 "2012-11-01T11:46:26Z")
Man had a fine head of hair, whatever his faults may have been. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/9 "2012-11-01T12:58:16Z")
But it still pales in comparison to Jermaine. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/10 "2012-11-01T13:11:08Z")
Well, God’s on there too. His track record isn’t very impressive either. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/11 "2012-11-01T13:13:11Z")
Keep him on the $20, but change the pic into one of him doing something charactaristic, like killing someone. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/12 "2012-11-01T13:13:40Z")
> [@blue\_infinity](#): > > He’s on your money because he was the most badass president ever. **Bzzzt!** I’m sorry, **blue infinity** , the correct answer was “Theodore Roosevelt”. Who was the most badass president ever? Theodore Roosevelt. You have lost teh Intarwebz. ---
**Author:** ![Saraya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Saraya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saraya)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/13 "2012-11-01T13:19:45Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Andrew Jackson has been on the U.S. $20 bill for over 80 years. Among other things, he supported slavery and “ethnic cleansing” of Native Americans. I don’t know what he did in his presidency that has any relevance today. Why is he on our money, and who should be on it instead? Martin Luther King was a plagerist, adulterer, womanizer(physically as well), liar, NOT a reverend, communist sympathizer and a whole host of over things. Should we take his birthday celebration away, or do we still praise him cause his message was good? In a proper America, he’d be shunned for his false nature. Civil rights doesn’t need black ‘leaders.’ And we could get our President’s birthdays back. The money should never change, it give us a sense of continuity that is sorely lacking in the States. To answer your question, who should be next, John Adams or Ron Paul. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/14 "2012-11-01T13:49:03Z")
> [@Saraya](#): > > Martin Luther King was a plagerist, adulterer, womanizer(physically as well), liar, NOT a reverend, communist sympathizer and a whole host of over things. > > Should we take his birthday celebration away, or do we still praise him cause his message was good? > > In a proper America, he’d be shunned for his false nature. Civil rights doesn’t need black ‘leaders.’ > And we could get our President’s birthdays back. > The money should never change, it give us a sense of continuity that is sorely lacking in the States. > To answer your question, who should be next, John Adams or Ron Paul. This will go over well. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/15 "2012-11-01T13:51:05Z")
:rolleyes: In 20 years or so, we can put Bill Clinton on the $20. That way everybody will remember the punchline to the joke. **Leaf** , our friend **Saraya** is more familiar with the under than the over. ---
**Author:** ![randomface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@randomface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomface)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/16 "2012-11-01T13:56:35Z")
Putting Ron Paul on Federal Reserve notes would probably cause quite a few of the “End the Fed” types to explode. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/17 "2012-11-01T13:57:37Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > **Leaf** , our friend **Saraya** is more familiar with the under than the over. I don’t know what this means. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/18 "2012-11-01T13:57:49Z")
> [@Saraya](#): > > The money should never change, it give us a sense of continuity that is sorely lacking in the States. > > . Never change? If that were true we would never get to honor President Obama this way. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/19 "2012-11-01T14:20:55Z")
> [@Saraya](#): > > The money should never change, it give us a sense of continuity that is sorely lacking in the States. [It’s a little late for that.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._dollar_bill) I will also go out on a limb and say that adultery and plagiarism, while bad, are much less bad than ethnic cleansing, and that if your belief is that the civil rights requirement could have worked without leadership from black people (as a gift from nice white people, I guess), that’s more than a little misguided. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541/20 "2012-11-01T16:41:20Z")
The U.S. currency is far too human-centric. I would like a famous horse, or perhaps an auspicious-looking beaver, on a commonly circulated denomination. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jackson-on-the-20/639541.md?page=2)