National Park Service and Historical Memory

Workers for the National Park Service on Thursday removed interpretive panels about enslaved people from the President’s House site at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, in what preservation advocates say is the first visible enforcement of President Trump’s 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History' executive order at that location. The outdoor exhibit, created in 2010 after years of research and activism, had highlighted the nine people enslaved by George and Martha Washington at the 6th and Market Street residence, widely cited as the only federal historic site that explicitly memorialized slavery in that way. The September order singled out Independence National Historical Park and the Smithsonian and directs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to ensure federal memorials avoid 'divisive narratives' or content that 'disparage Americans past or living' by July 4, 2026, when the park will be central to the nation’s 250th‑anniversary events. Preservation Alliance director Paul Steinke called Thursday’s removal 'a terrible day for American history' and said the signs were 'ripped down' and presumably put into storage, while Rep. Brendan Boyle condemned the move as an attempt to hide the realities of slavery and promised political pushback. As of Thursday evening, the park’s website still described the President’s House exhibit as examining 'the paradox between slavery and freedom' and presenting stories from the perspectives of enslaved individuals, underscoring a gap between the online description and what visitors now see on site.