Trump Administration Orders Removal of Slavery Exhibits from National Parks

The National Park Service has begun taking down or altering exhibits that highlight the history of slavery and racial injustice after new directives from the Trump administration. The move has alarmed historians and public interest groups, who say it risks distorting how Americans understand their past.

At the center of the controversy is the removal of a well-known 1863 photograph of a man who escaped slavery. The man, known as Gordon, posed with his back exposed to reveal scars left by brutal whippings. The image has been displayed for years at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park in West Virginia and at other historic sites as a vivid reminder of the cruelty of slavery. Officials have now ordered that the photograph be taken down.

The President’s House in Philadelphia, where George Washington kept enslaved people, is another site under review. Park rangers have been told to rework or eliminate exhibits that focus on the stories of enslaved individuals at that location.

The changes stem from a March executive order that directed the Interior Department to remove materials deemed to promote “corrosive ideologies.” In practice, the policy has been interpreted to target exhibits on slavery, systemic racism, the treatment of Native Americans, and the broader history of oppression in the United States.

Historians argue that the removals go beyond interpretation and amount to erasing evidence of America’s failures. They warn that softening or omitting such material undermines the public’s ability to fully understand how the nation developed. Exhibits at national parks and historic sites, they note, are often the only exposure many Americans have to this history.

Park officials and preservation groups have voiced strong opposition, saying the decision silences essential truths. Critics contend that rather than presenting a more balanced view, the policy attempts to rewrite history by excluding painful but important stories.

Supporters of the changes argue that national parks should focus on unity and national pride. However, opponents insist that acknowledging past injustices is central to preserving an honest account of American history.

As the removals continue, the debate raises larger questions about how much control political leaders should have over public history and what future generations will be allowed to see and learn at the nation’s most significant sites.