By Isabelle Wilson-
The Trump administration has reportedly ordered a National Park exhibit removal campaign, targeting signs and displays related to slavery at multiple historic sites. According to sources familiar with the matter, this directive is a broad interpretation of a March executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” The order instructed the Interior Department to purge content that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.” The move has drawn immediate criticism from historians and civil rights groups.
‘The Scourged Back’, an 1863 photo of a formerly enslaved man named ‘Peter’, which solidified public support for the abolition of slavery (William D. McPherson and J. Oliver (public domain)). Yahoo News
Among the items reportedly slated for removal is a famous 1863 photograph of a formerly enslaved man known as “Peter” or “Gordon.” The powerful image shows his back, severely scarred from whippings. During the Civil War, the photo shocked Americans across the Union and strengthened support for the abolitionist cause. Its removal, along with other exhibits, signifies a significant shift in the federal government’s approach to public history.
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The Details of the National Park Exhibit Removal
According to leaked documents and anonymous sources, the directive for a National Park exhibit removal campaign has been applied to several sites. At Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia, where abolitionist John Brown led a raid to start a slave revolt, officials have been told to remove or cover up exhibits. The President’s House site in Philadelphia, where George Washington kept nine enslaved people, is also reportedly affected. A spokesperson for the National Park Service said all interpretive materials are being reviewed but would not confirm specific removals. The spokesperson did state, however, that “Interpretive materials that disproportionately emphasize negative aspects of U.S. history or historical figures… can unintentionally distort understanding.”
Historians and activists widely oppose the move. They argue the order represents an effort to whitewash American history. Jonathan Zimmerman, a University of Pennsylvania professor, called the move “an enormous increase in federal power and control over the things we learn.” This push to remove exhibits on slavery, racism, and the persecution of Indigenous people follows a long series of similar actions by the administration. Previous actions have included removing famous Black and female veterans from military history websites and scrubbing the word “transgender” from the Stonewall National Monument. You can find more details on the directive and its implications in a report from the Washington Post.
The reported National Park exhibit removal comes as the US debates how to present its complex history in public spaces. Supporters of the new policy believe the exhibits focus too much on the negative, while critics argue that ignoring the darker parts of history prevents a full and honest understanding of the nation’s past. The debate over how to tell America’s story is now front and center, with its treasured national parks serving as the latest battleground.
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