PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In keeping with a prior commitment, the Trump administration has unveiled revamped displays concerning slavery at the historical site of President George Washington’s residence in Philadelphia.
The new panels, installed on Wednesday, have drawn criticism, with some arguing they dilute the harsh realities of slavery. These panels are located in the same historic area that witnessed the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
“In an overnight maneuver cloaked in secrecy, federal authorities replaced panels at the President’s House that previously offered a comprehensive history of Philadelphia,” remarked Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Wednesday. “Although the federal court sanctioned this removal, the cover of night under which it occurred suggests an awareness of its shameful nature and a breach of community confidence.”
Originally erected in 2010, the panels detailed the lives of nine enslaved people who, alongside George and Martha Washington, resided at the house in the 1790s when Philadelphia served as the nation’s temporary capital.
The revision of these panels came after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in 2025 mandating that federally owned or administered historic sites avoid presenting information that “disparages Americans past or living,” highlighting instead the “achievements and progress of the American people.”
A lower court forced the federal government in February to remove the new panels after they already had been installed earlier this year. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 3rd Circuit of Appeals reversed that and ruled July 3 that the work could continue.
A government website with images of the new panels showed they would still have information on enslaved people who lived in the home. It would also include details on the abolitionist movement, how the Constitution treated slavery, the end of slavery in Pennsylvania and how Washington and his successor, John Adams, viewed and treated slavery, as well as information about the 20th century Civil Rights movement.
However, the replacement panels do not include some of detail in the earlier ones, such as a map of slave trade routes and a timeline on slavery. They also avoid critical headlines such as “The Dirty Business of Slavery.”
The city of Philadelphia had sued the federal government over the removal of information previously included in the panels. It argued that the federal government must consult with the city before making changes to the President’s House Site. Justice Department lawyers argued the administration alone can decide what stories are told at National Park Service properties.
Parker said the city intends to seek a rehearing “on serious legal issues” presented in the appeals court decision.
Michael Coard, an attorney and founder of Avenging The Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), said the Philadelphia-based history preservation group continues to work on legal strategies opposing the Trump administration’s changing of the panels.
ATAC joined the city’s lawsuit.
Trump is attempting to rewrite history, Coard told reporters Wednesday near the site.
“What if there’s a president next time who doesn’t like the Liberty Bell because the Liberty Bell was used by abolitionists to support the end of slavery?” he said. “What if there’s a president who doesn’t like the Statue of Liberty because too many immigrants come in? Do we remove the Statue of Liberty?”
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Williams reported from Detroit.