Philadelphia sues after Trump orders removal of slavery exhibit

Philadelphia filed a lawsuit against the Department of Interior Thursday following the removal of a slavery exhibit at the President’s House site in Independence National Historical Park.

The exhibit is a memorial to nine enslaved people George Washington owned during the founding of the country. All signs relating to the exhibit were taken down Thursday afternoon, according to an Independence Park employee who told the Philadelphia Inquirer, “I’m just following my orders.”

The signage removal comes after a March 2025 executive order called for the review of over 400 national sites to remove or modify interpretive materials that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.” The order specifically called out Independence Park and the Biden administration for its “corrosive ideology.”

In reaction to the removed materials, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said Trump “will take any opportunity to rewrite and whitewash our history.”

“But he picked the wrong city — and he sure as hell picked the wrong commonwealth. We learn from our history in Pennsylvania, even when it’s painful.” Shapiro said in a statement.

The exhibit was initially approved in 2006 by both the city and the National Park Service to show “all those who lived in the house while it was used as the executive mansion, including the nine enslaved Africans brought by George Washington.” The exhibit opened in 2010 during the Obama administration.

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The 2006 agreement included language stating “no changes or alterations shall be made in the property within the Independence Hall National Historic Site, including its buildings and grounds … except by mutual agreement between the Secretary of the Interior and the other parties to the contracts.” The lawsuit filed Thursday claims the exhibit was altered without permission or notice to the city of Philadelphia. City officials have asked for a preliminary injunction, which would allow the display to remain up while the case is being litigated.

“Altering or censoring the site threatens the historical integrity of the site, undermines public understanding of our complete past and erases the experiences of the enslaved individuals whom the memorial honors,” Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson in a statement. “Removing items from the President’s House merely changes the landscape, not the historical record.”