Key facts
- Revised panels about slavery at President George Washington's Philadelphia home have been reinstalled.
- Critics contend the new panels, replacing those from 2010, whitewash historical accounts of slavery.
- The federal government cited a 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump calling for focus on American achievements.
- A federal appeals court ruled that the work could proceed, reversing a lower court decision.
- The city of Philadelphia sued, arguing the federal government should consult with them on changes to the historical site.
The federal government has reinstalled revised panels detailing slavery at President George Washington's home in Philadelphia, following a pledge by the Trump Administration. The new displays replace panels exhibited since 2010, which critics argue have been altered to whitewash history. The original panels recounted the lives of nine enslaved individuals who lived in the home with the Washingtons in the 1790s.
President Donald Trump's 2025 executive order, which called for federally controlled historic sites to avoid information that "disparages Americans" and instead focus on "greatness and progress," is cited as the impetus for the changes. Critics, including Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, have condemned the removal of the original panels, calling the action "shameful" and a violation of community trust, particularly noting the timing of the installation "under the cover of darkness."
A lower court had previously ordered the federal government to remove the new panels, but a three-judge panel of the U.S. 3rd Circuit of Appeals reversed that decision on July 3, allowing the reinstallation to proceed. While the government website shows the new panels will still include information on enslaved people, the abolitionist movement, and Washington's views on slavery, they omit details such as a map of slave trade routes and critical headlines like "The Dirty Business of Slavery."
The city of Philadelphia had sued, asserting the federal government should consult with them on changes to the President's House Site. Justice Department lawyers, however, argued that the administration alone has the authority to determine the narratives presented at National Park Service properties. Mayor Parker indicated the city plans to seek a rehearing on the legal issues raised by the appeals court decision.