Key facts
- The U.S. National Park Service has removed at least 51 exhibits from 38 national park sites.
- The removals were ordered by President Donald Trump to eliminate displays that "inappropriately disparage Americans."
The U.S. National Park Service has removed at least 51 exhibits from 38 sites as part of President Donald Trump's directive to eliminate displays deemed to "inappropriately disparage Americans." The removals include exhibits on slavery and climate change, drawing criticism from historians and legal challenges.
The removals and subsequent legal challenges highlight a conflict over how American history, including sensitive topics like slavery and climate change, should be presented in national parks, raising concerns about historical accuracy and censorship.
The U.S. National Park Service has removed at least 51 exhibits from 38 sites across the country, acting on an executive order from President Donald Trump targeting displays perceived to "inappropriately disparage Americans." The removals, revealed in a court-ordered inventory, include a display at Independence National Historical Park detailing George Washington's ownership of enslaved people and materials on climate change from parks like Fort Sumter and Acadia.
U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley, who ordered the inventory, ruled that the administration's actions constituted an unlawful effort to "rewrite the nation's history." The administration has called the judge's order to reinstall the exhibits by July 3, just before the country's 250th anniversary, a "herculean and unmanageable task" and is seeking to pause the order while it appeals.
Critics contend that Trump is attempting to erase historical aspects that portray the United States negatively. The administration framed its directive as countering a "revisionist movement" that presents the U.S. as "inherently racist, sexist, oppressive or otherwise irredeemably flawed." An accompanying court filing suggested the provided inventory might be partial, as not all identified items had been removed. A leaked internal database from March indicated over 500 items had been flagged for review.