US EditionPark Service removes slavery exhibit at Independence Park in Philadelphia
Thirteen slavery-related exhibits were removed under a Trump-era order to align historical displays with national values ahead of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.
- On Jan. 22, National Park Service staff tore down an outdoor slavery exhibit at the President's House Site in Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia.
- The Department of the Interior said the removals followed completion of a review under President Donald Trump's directive and related executive orders.
- The exhibit featured informational panels about George Washington's ownership of enslaved people and review materials included the 1863 photograph titled `The Scourged Back`.
- The City of Philadelphia filed a lawsuit saying defendants provided no explanation for removing historical displays, while Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., noted the National Park Service also removed signs at Acadia National Park referencing slavery and other topics.
- This act comes amid heightened scrutiny of slavery's place in George Washington's legacy in recent years, as Americans have debated that complexity at public historic sites for nearly 250 years.
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Pa. Human Relations Commission comments on removal of Philadelphia slavery exhibit
The PA Human Relations Commission has weighed in on the removal of educational materials regarding George Washington’s slaves at Independence National Historical Park.
Rabb: Trump is attacking Black history and historical truth
State Rep. Chris Rabb. PA-200 State Rep. Chris Rabb issued the following statement in response to the removal of displays at the President’s House historic site ordered by the Trump administration: “The Trump administration’s latest assault on public memory is not just petty—it is patently racist. Its effort to erase, distort, or whitewash the historical record of Black people’s suffering, resistance, and achievement is a direct attack on truth …
Philly Don't Play: Philadelphia Sues Over 'Arbitrary & Capricious' Removal Of Slavery Exhibits From President’s House Site
Philadelphia isn’t backing down and taking its fight over the removal of slavery exhibits straight to federal court. Source: Matthew Hatcher / Getty On Thursday, the city sued the Department of the Interior and the acting director of the National Park Service, accusing officials of dismantling slavery exhibits in the President’s House site inside Independence National Historical Park. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the site serves as a …
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro accuses President Trump of attempting to “whitewash history”
Tourists inspect a display entitled 'The Dirty Business of Slavery' at the President's House on August 9, 2025 in Philadelphia. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)Gov. Josh Shapiro vowed on Saturday to take legal action against the federal government for a decision to remove an exhibit on slavery at Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia. “It is important that we do not allow them to succeed,” he said. Listen to John and Emily’s…
Gov. Shapiro accuses President Trump of attempting to “whitewash history”
Tourists inspect a display entitled 'The Dirty Business of Slavery' at the President's House on August 9, 2025 in Philadelphia. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)Gov. Josh Shapiro vowed on Saturday to take legal action against the federal government for a decision to remove an exhibit on slavery at Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia. “It is important that we do not allow them to succeed,” he said. Listen to John and Emily’s…
National Park Service removes slavery exhibit in Philadelphia
The National Park Service removed an exhibit at the President’s House Site at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, last week. The “Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation” exhibit focused on the nine slaves who lived at the location when President George Washington resided there from 1790 to 1797, when Philadelphia was the capital of the United States. Its removal was the result of President Donald Trump…
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