Hey, Americans, why are there non-presidents on your money?

[CanuckAmok]

I just noticed, but Ben Frankin and Thomas Jefferson are on the bills, but they weren't Presidents.

What gives?

[Mattforclark]

1. TJ

was president.

[CanuckAmok]

4. Eeep. My bad.

but still, what about "BF"?

[Mattforclark]

5. No idea

maybe they just decided to make an exception for Mr. Lightning Rod there.

[democracyindanger]

2. Signers of the Constitution? nt

[MrScorpio]

3. TJ was No.3

Dude, are you drunk, or just a Canucklehead?

[CanuckAmok]

6. Why can't I be both?

n/t

Okay, it's not Thomas Jefferson, but there's one other non-president besides Franklin. Who is on the $10?

[MrScorpio]

8. Drunk and a Canucklehead?

Cooool!!!

[Bucky]

9. Hamilton's a non-P on the 10

[CanuckAmok]

10. That's the one!

n/t

[Kenneth ken]

11. Hamilton

was the first Secretary of the Treasury.

[Don_G]

7. Ben Franklin

Was the Eldest Statesman, served as colonial representative to England, Ambassador to France and was the only signer to the four most important documents of the time including the Constitution and the Bill Of Rights.

[LiviaOlivia]

12. Founding Fathers and dead Presidents by custom

See following link if you are so inclined:


http://www.moneyfactory.com/section.cfm/4

[Bucky]

13. Their (Ben & Hamilton's) contributions to the Founding were very important

Before Washington was famous, Ben Franklin was already beyond superfamous--an inventor, scientist, man of letters, business shark, top-notch lobbyist to Parliament in London, journalist--in every respect the first citizen of the New World. He was the very face of America to France and it is largely due to his influence that France was willing to mix it up with England in another war, thereby allowing our little uprising to become successful.

Franklin was also the leading light of the Enlightenment. He was hugely popular, the very embodiment of "man in his natural state" as the philosophes imagined it. It was principally his popularity that won France, the Netherlands, and many of the world's leading intellectuals to our cause. Before the Beatles came to America, Ben Franklin came to Paris. He was that big.

Add onto that the fact that he was a leading light in the construction of the Declaration of Independence and a guiding spirit (tho less intellectually critical) at the Constitutional Convention.

Hamilton's role at the Constitutional Convention was bigger, but not really indispensible. But as the first Secretary of the Treasury in the US, he is the one who made the country as successful as it became. Keep in mind that the Constitution of 1787 was created not because of a political need, but because a country that thought it had great economic potential was languishing in economic depression and inflation--yes, today we call it "stagflation."

Hamilton's policies--assumption and consolidation of all state debts, regulation of currency, creation of the sinking fund, encouragement of manufacturing and useful artisan skills, development of the west, protection of the rights of tory landholders, and the resumption of full trading status with England after the war--are all the things that made the country survive its first few precarious years of existance.

George Washington is still remembered as being one of the most successful presidents we've ever had, not just because he was first but because all of his economic policies resulted in a growing economy, a stablization of foreign relations, and the strengthening of the country. Washington's policies were almost entirely of Hamilton's design. After Washington alone, Hamilton is the most indispensible of the Founding Fathers.

[CanuckAmok]

14. Hmmm...interesting! Thanks one and all.

It's just that *traditionally* only the head of state appears on the front of a nation's currency.

Live and learn!

[mitchum]

15. Because the name "Salmon P Chase" makes us giggle

[baldguy]

16. I don't know...

If I had a few Salmons in my wallet, I wouldn't be giggling about his name.

[AndyTiedye]

26. Franklin Was The Brains of the Operation

[FlashHarry]

22. Salmon P. Chase, of the $10,000 bill fame?

[rasputin1952]

17. Alexander Hamilton, on the $10...

was the man who set up the Treasury. Good reason to honor him.

Franlinin is on the $100 because of the incredible amount of time and effort, as well as genius he put into the beginning o f the nation.

Just for fun, (although they don't make these any more, but if you find one it's worth a lot more than face value), Salmon Chase was on the $10,000 bill. (Yess, this is the Chase from the Chase Manhattan Bank, he lent millions to the gov't to get us out of a serious depression).

Woo-Hoo! Trivia at its best!

:bounce:

[UrbScotty]

18. WRONG! Jefferson WAS President!

This proves how little Canadians know about America!

[Faygo Kid]

25. Hey! Soupy Sales is on my money. What a gyp!

Man, got to quit accepting those $20 bills printed on napkins.

[JackDaniel1216]

19. HEY!

who cares?

[Bertha Venation]

20. Ben Franklin is on the $100 because (and other non-prez currency facts)

he was the first American womanizing pig. So you see, the $100 is a very important bill to today's politicians.

Alexander Hamilton, on the $10 -- also a womanizer. Killed in a duel. Not a president. First secretary of the treasury.

Salmon P. Chase, not a president, is on the $10,000 bill, no longer in circulation.

Women, also not presidents: Susan B. Anthony (one of the first women's rights activists -- see my av) and Sacajawea (Lewis & Clark's guide) are on $1 coins.

Unrelated fact: there used to be a half-dime coin, but it was replaced by the five-cent coin.

Here's a web site. http://www.ustreas.gov/topics/currency/index.html

[UrbScotty]

21. At least they were all American citizens!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=520738

[BiggJawn]

23. At least we don't have beavers on our money...

:-)

[welshTerrier2]

24. The GOP is talking about

taking all the presidents pictures off U.S. currency and replacing them with pictures of oil executives ...

bush told cheney he could be on the twenty because "he called it first" ...