Meet the notable woman on the new dollar bills - and the women who should be on the pound note
And no we're not including the Queen.
And no we're not including the Queen.
Women have been given their much-needed recognition after it was announced the new $5, $10 and $20 bills in the United States will feature a bevy of famous women from American history.
The US Treasury Department announced the news that eight women will feature in the new designs, honouring the female civil rights leaders who shaped the country.
In perhaps the most symbolic move, Harriet Tubman leads the charge, replacing noted slave-owner Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill. Harriet famously led slaves to escape through the Underground Railroad in the 1800s, and with the new bill, comes the first woman, and woman of colour, to grace the front of a bill.
While Alexander Hamilton and Abraham Lincoln will remain on the front of $10 and $5, five suffrage leaders including Susan B. Anthony and Sojourner Truth will also be depicted.
Fear not though men, Martin Luther King Jr. has also been honoured.
The move comes after increased pressure on the government to represent women more equally, because you know, it is 2016.
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
The final redesigns will launch in 2020, just in time for the anniversary of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the US.
But it got us thinking, where are all the women on the pound note?
Sure, the Queen graces us with her presence, and we've had Florence Nightingale and social reformer Elizabeth Fry, but it's odd how the UK fails to have any other women on our currency. We mean, if America can do we it, so can we.
Thankfully, Jane Austen was revealed as the new face of the £10 note by the Bank of England in 2013, replacing Charles Darwin, after a campaign by Caroline Criado-Perez called for a woman to be featured. Though we won't have to wait as long to get the new notes - they're being printed from 2017 - we cant help but feel Britain could do a lot better than one woman.
Other notable women we reckon should feature on our cash are...
Agatha Christie
Pretty much the founding mother of murder mysteries, Agatha Christie's work is still read and loved today. She even has Poldark gunning to work in her adaptations.
Mary Seacole
One of the popular candidates that was considered for the £10 note, Mary was a Jamaican-born nurse who provided care for soldiers in the Crimean War. A fitting successor to previous featured woman Florence Nightingale, we think.
Ada Lovelace
Often considered the first ever computer programmer, Ada's notes as a mathematician and writer came to be known as the first ever algorithm intended for use by a machine. With coding all the rage, Ada's face on the note would be a boon to ladies who code.
Emmeline Pankhurst
While the US had Susan B. Anthony fighting for their right to vote, Emmeline Pankhurst was leading the movement in the UK, using militant tactics to give women a voice and the right to vote by 1918. She was even played by Meryl Streep in 2015's Suffragette. If that isn't pound-worthy, we don't know what is.
Rosalind Franklin
Historically overlooked, Rosalind Franklin was actually the first person to discover the science behind the building blocks of our body - DNA. Her work was credited though to two men, James Watson and Francis Crick, who took credit for her discoveries. Let's face it, her face on the pound note would be a great way to pay her back (ha, get it?)
The leading destination for fashion, beauty, shopping and finger-on-the-pulse views on the latest issues. Marie Claire's travel content helps you delight in discovering new destinations around the globe, offering a unique – and sometimes unchartered – travel experience. From new hotel openings to the destinations tipped to take over our travel calendars, this iconic name has it covered.
-
One surprising A-lister almost starred in The White Lotus' first season
By Jenny Proudfoot
-
I’m not ready to dissolve my lip filler but I support those who are—here's what to know about the process
Is everyone getting their filler dissolved without me? Here's the information if you *have* changed your mind
By Rebecca Fearn
-
Princess Kate's family has revealed what she was like growing up
By Jenny Proudfoot