US EditionTrump Administration Orders Removal of Slavery Exhibits at Multiple National Parks
The National Park Service removes a widely circulated 1863 photo showing scars from brutal whippings on an enslaved man, citing an executive order against materials emphasizing negative U.S. history.
- On March 27, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive directive aimed at removing displays and exhibits perceived to promote a "corrosive ideology" that misrepresents American history.
- The order accused the Biden administration of promoting a distorted narrative about American history, prompting broad National Park Service actions to enforce removals.
- Among the materials removed were over 30 signs located within the Harpers Ferry site and a historic 1863 photograph depicting Peter Gordon, an enslaved man marked by severe whipping scars, which was exhibited at an unspecified park.
- According to a statement from the National Park Service, interpretive materials that focus heavily on negative aspects of history without providing wider context may unintentionally mislead visitors; the photograph in question is commonly referred to as “The Scourged Back.”
- These removals reflect an expansion of federal oversight on historical interpretation with potential impact on public understanding of slavery and American history at key sites like the President's House in Philadelphia.
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47 Articles
Hiding a horrific photo doesn’t erase America’s prejudiced history
The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com Patrick Rael is a professor of history at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. He specializes in African-American history, the Civil War era, and the history of slavery and emancipation. The Trump administration has ordered the National Park Service to remove from its sites mat…
National Park Service is ordered to take down some materials on slavery and tribes - Hawaii Tribune-Herald
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ordered several National Park Service sites to take down materials related to slavery and Native Americans, including an 1863 photograph of a formerly enslaved man with scars on his back that became one of the most powerful images of the Civil War era.
Montgomery County looks to preserve history as Trump reviews slavery imagery in parks
President Donald Trump is reportedly having his administration review photography related to slavery in national parks in the United States. The Washington Post reports it’s being done with an eye toward removal, starting with a searing and famous photo taken in 1863 that shows the scarred back of an escaped enslaved man. “I’m in a county that 100 or some...
Trump's Order Strips Slavery Exhibits, Removes Black History
The Trump administration has ordered federal agencies to remove exhibits and materials that emphasize slavery and racial injustice, sparking protests and accusations of censorship from historians and community leaders. The post Trump’s Order Strips Slavery Exhibits, Removes Black History appeared first on The Washington Informer.
Park Service Is Ordered to Take Down Some Materials on Slavery and Tribes
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has ordered several National Park Service sites to take down materials related to slavery and Native Americans, including an 1863 photograph of a formerly enslaved man with scars on his back that became one of…
National park to remove image of enslaved man’s scarred back taken in Baton Rouge, report says
The Trump administration intends to remove from a national park a photograph taken in Baton Rouge during the Civil War of a formerly enslaved man showing scars on his back, according to The Washington Post.
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