U.S. Park Service Removes Slavery Exhibit from Philadelphia Site After Trump Order

The U.S. National Park Service has removed an outdoor exhibit on slavery from the President’s House Site at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, following an internal review ordered under President Donald Trump’s directive targeting what he calls “anti-American ideology” in cultural and historical institutions. The exhibit highlighted the history of slavery and George Washington’s ownership of enslaved people during the period when Philadelphia served as the U.S. capital.

In a statement to Reuters, the Interior Department said the President had instructed federal agencies to assess interpretive materials to ensure “accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values,” and that the Park Service is now taking steps to remove or revise such content accordingly. Media footage and activists reported that the outdoor exhibit was dismantled and taken away on Thursday, though the official President’s House website still stated that its exhibits examine the “paradox between slavery and freedom in the new nation.”

The move has triggered backlash from civil rights advocates and Democratic officials, including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who accused Trump of attempting to “rewrite and whitewash” American history. Rights groups argue the removal is part of a broader pattern under the Trump administration, which they say includes crackdowns on immigration, rollbacks of diversity initiatives, funding freezes for universities over pro-Palestinian protests, and renewed criticism of institutions that emphasize the historical legacy of slavery.

Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright