National Park Service staff on Thursday removed an exhibit on slavery at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. The exhibit had been singled out last year in an executive order issued by President Donald Trump aimed at “restoring truth and sanity to American history.”
The exhibit was located at the President’s House Site, where George Washington lived during his presidency. Its informational panels addressed Washington’s ownership of enslaved people and placed it within the broader history of slavery, including details about the lives of those who were enslaved.
Since last year, the Park Service has been eliminating material related to historic racism, sexism, LGBTQ rights, slavery, and climate change as part of its implementation of the executive order.
The President has instructed federal agencies to review interpretive materials to ensure they are accurate, truthful, and consistent with shared national values,” Interior Department spokesperson Elizabeth Peace said in a statement. “After completing the required review, the National Park Service is now moving to remove or revise interpretive materials in compliance with the order.
