History of Andrew Jackson’s Image on U. S. Currency
 Portraits of Andrew Jackson have appeared on various denominations of
U. S. paper currency since 1869. At that time Jackson was revered for clearing
Indian lands of their inhabitants to make way for white settlers. Should
we continue to honor a man who, more than any other single person, was
directly responsible for the removal and consequent deaths of thousands
of American Indians? Jackson used unethical methods to forcibly remove
American Indians from the sacred lands of their ancestors. Is this the
kind of man we want to honor? Since 1929 his image has appeared on the
$20 bill. This bill has become the most widely circulated. Some American
Indians currently try to avoid using it (a boycott) or “X” his
image in protest.
 On July 11, 1862 an Act of Congress gave the Secretary of the Treasury
the power to “engrave, print, and execute” notes. In 1929 a
committee was appointed to standardize U.S. currency. At that time the
persons whose images would appear on paper currency was selected by the
Secretary of the Treasury and have remained standard to this day. The Treasury
Department records do not reveal the reasons Andrew Jackson’s image
was chosen to appear on one of the standardized bills. Despite the changes
in portraits and the size of the portraits, Andrew Jackson’s image
appears on current United States $20 bills as it has since 1929.
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