Federal government replaces slavery exhibition at Washington's home in Philadelphia

By — Corey Williams, Associated Press Corey Williams, Associated Press By — Tassanee Vejpongsa, Associated Press Tassanee Vejpongsa, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/federal-government-replaces-slavery-exhibition-at-washingtons-home-in-philadelphia Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Federal government replaces slavery exhibition at Washington's home in Philadelphia Nation Jul 15, 2026 6:19 PM EDT PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday replaced an exhibit on slavery at the site of President George Washington's home in Philadelphia with a version that historians say whitewashes the nation's history. The new exhibit was installed in the same area where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. READ MORE: Slavery exhibit returns to Philadelphia's Independence Mall after Trump administration ordered its removal "Overnight, under the cover of darkness, the federal government removed panels at the President's House that told a thorough history of Philadelphia," Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said. "It was allowed to do this by the decision of the federal court, but that it did so at night shows it understands this action is shameful, that it violates community trust." The original panels were put in place in 2010 and told the story of how nine slaves lived in the home along with George and Martha Washington in the 1790s, when Philadelphia was briefly the nation's capital. The changed exhibition comes as President Donald Trump has made dismantling diversity and inclusion initiatives a priority in an aggressive campaign to overhaul some of America's most sacred cultural, historic and educational institutions. Trump issued an executive order in 2025 that called for federally owned or controlled historic sites to not display information to "disparage Americans past or living" and to focus on the "greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people." The directive has raised concerns about sanitizing and erasing dark sides of American history. Trump has continued a broadside against culture he deems too liberal. In March, Trump revealed his intention to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution with an executive order that targeted funding for programs that advanced "divisive narratives" and "improper ideology." He has also pressured organizations outside of the government, including universities, to take similar actions with the stated aim of eliminating what he says are discriminatory practices. READ MORE: Citing Orwell's '1984,' judge orders Trump administration to restore slavery exhibit it removed in Philadelphia The Trump administration first installed the new panels earlier this year, but a lower court forced the federal government in February to remove them. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 3rd Circuit of Appeals reversed that and ruled July 3 that the work could continue. The three-judge