A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to reinstate historical exhibits detailing the lives of enslaved individuals at the President's House Site within Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park. The ruling, issued on Presidents Day, follows a lawsuit filed by the City of Philadelphia after the National Park Service removed the panels in January.
The administration cited a presidential executive order as the basis for the removal and has since appealed the judge's decision, while restoration of the exhibits commenced on Thursday.
Exhibit Removal and City Lawsuit
The City of Philadelphia initiated a federal lawsuit against the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service (NPS) after educational panels, artwork, and informational displays referencing slavery were removed from the President's House Site in January. The lawsuit sought a preliminary injunction to reinstate the exhibits, arguing that the removal was "arbitrary and capricious" and conducted without prior notification to the city.
Video footage aired by NBC Philadelphia on Thursday, the day the city became aware of the removal, depicted individuals using crowbars to take down panels. One of the panels was notably titled “The Dirty Business of Slavery.”
The City of Philadelphia contended that the removal of panels, conducted "without notice," violated various congressional laws and a 2006 cooperative agreement. This agreement outlined the terms for building the exhibit and specified that the city had an "equal right" to "approve the final design" and review any alterations. The lawsuit also alleged violations of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) of 1946, which mandates federal agencies to publish proposals and allow public comment regarding agency actions.
Background of the President's House Exhibit
The President's House site, located within Independence National Historical Park, served as a residence for President George Washington, who brought enslaved individuals to the home, and later for President John Adams. In 2003, the U.S. House of Representatives urged the NPS to acknowledge the enslaved people at the site.
A cooperative agreement between the NPS and the city in 2006 led to the establishment of an exhibit, which opened in 2010. This exhibit included a memorial and panels providing biographical information about the nine enslaved individuals who lived there, including Oney Judge and Hercules, both of whom escaped. In 2022, the National Park Service designated the Philadelphia house a national Underground Railroad site. After the panels were removed, only the names of the enslaved individuals remained engraved on a cement wall.
Administration's Rationale and Executive Order
The National Park Service stated that the removal of the exhibits aligned with President Donald Trump's Executive Order No. 14253, issued last March, titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." The order directs the Department of the Interior to avoid including content that "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living" and instead to "focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people."
A spokesperson for the Department of the Interior indicated that all federal agencies were tasked with reviewing interpretive materials to ensure "accuracy, honesty, and alignment with shared national values" as part of the executive order's implementation. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum subsequently directed the removal of "improper partisan ideology" from federally controlled exhibits.
Judicial Intervention
On Presidents Day, U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, ordered the Trump administration to reinstate the exhibit panels. The ruling granted the City of Philadelphia's request for a preliminary injunction, mandating the restoration of all original materials and prohibiting the installation of alternative exhibits or new interpretations while legal proceedings continue. The judge set a Friday deadline for the Interior Department to reinstate the exhibit.
In her written order, Judge Rufe referenced George Orwell's novel "1984," stating, "As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed... this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not."
She noted that specific congressional legislation limits the Interior Department's authority to unilaterally alter the park's content. Judge Rufe also stated that removing materials about Oney Judge "conceals crucial information linking the site" to the Underground Railroad network.
Restoration Underway and Appeal
Following the judge's order, the Trump administration submitted a request to Judge Rufe on Wednesday night, seeking a stay on the injunction while an appeal is awaiting a decision in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. The Interior Department stated it has appealed the court's ruling, adding that updated interpretive materials providing a "fuller account of the history of slavery" would have been installed without a court order.
Despite the administration's appeal and request for a stay, workers began restoring the exhibit panels on Thursday, ahead of the judge's Friday deadline for reinstatement. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker visited the site.
Broader Context and Related Lawsuits
This dispute is part of broader actions by the Trump administration to modify content within federal cultural institutions. Other instances include:
- Stonewall National Monument: References to transgender and queer people were removed, and a rainbow Pride flag, a permanent fixture since 2022, was removed. This has led to a separate lawsuit by LGBTQ+ rights advocates and historic preservationists.
- American Battle Monuments Commission: A cemetery display in the Netherlands that acknowledged the contributions of African American World War II soldiers and the discrimination they encountered was removed.
- Grand Canyon National Park: Signage describing the displacement of Native American tribes and resource exploitation reportedly disappeared.
- Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail: Approximately 80 items related to the civil rights movement have been flagged for removal.
- Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park: An exhibit mentioning "equity" has been flagged for review.
- Glacier National Park: Materials detailing the effects of climate change and its role in the disappearance of glaciers were ordered to be removed.
Conservation and historical organizations, including the National Parks Conservation Association, the American Association for State and Local History, the Association of National Park Rangers, and the Union of Concerned Scientists, have filed a separate lawsuit in Boston. This lawsuit challenges the Trump administration's National Park Service policies, alleging compelled alteration or removal of content related to slavery, climate change, civil rights, and Indigenous peoples. A White House spokeswoman described this new lawsuit as premature and based on "inaccurate and mischaracterized information," noting that the Interior Department's review of American history exhibits is ongoing and actions are not yet finalized.
Attributed Reactions
Various individuals and groups have commented on the events:
- Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson stated that removing the exhibits represents "an effort to whitewash American history" and emphasized that "Black history is American history."
- The National Parks Conservation Association criticized the dismantling, calling it an "insult to the memory of the enslaved people who lived there and to their descendants" and a "dangerous precedent of prioritizing nostalgia over the truth."
- The Black Journey, a group conducting walking tours on Black history in Philadelphia, expressed that the removal of panels cannot erase the past.
- U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) and CAIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Ahmet Tekelioglu condemned the removal, highlighting the importance of understanding the full scope of American history.
- The American Historical Association criticized the executive order, stating it misrepresents the work of historical institutions and that the goal of historians is to understand the past, not to criticize or celebrate it.
- Democratic Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro previously described the exhibit's removal as "whitewashing" history, a sentiment echoed by State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who described the ruling as a "victory against an attempt to 'whitewash our history'."