The federal government has reinstalled reworked panels detailing the history of slavery at the President's House site in Philadelphia, the home of George Washington during the 1790s when the city served as the nation's capital. The installation followed a July 3 ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. 3rd Circuit of Appeals, which reversed a lower court decision that had ordered the removal of the new panels earlier this year.
Critics have expressed concerns that the updated panels, which replaced those exhibited since 2010, downplay or "whitewash" the history of slavery. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker stated that the overnight installation "under the cover of darkness" demonstrated an understanding that the action was "shameful" and violated community trust. The city had sued the federal government, arguing that it must consult with local officials before altering exhibits at the site.
The original panels, installed in 2010, focused on the lives of nine enslaved individuals who lived in the home with George and Martha Washington. The revision of these panels was initiated after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in 2025. This order directed federally owned or controlled historic sites to avoid displaying information that could "disparage Americans past or living" and instead to emphasize the "greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people."
Government documentation indicates the new panels will still include information about enslaved people who lived at the President's House. They are also slated to cover the abolitionist movement, the treatment of slavery within the Constitution, the abolition of slavery in Pennsylvania, and the views of Washington and his successor, John Adams, on slavery. Information regarding the 20th-century Civil Rights movement is also expected to be present.
However, the replacement panels reportedly omit certain details found in the earlier versions, such as a map of slave trade routes and a timeline of slavery. They also appear to avoid headlines like "The Dirty Business of Slavery."
Attorneys for the Justice Department argued that the federal administration has the sole authority to determine the narratives presented at National Park Service properties. The city of Philadelphia, along with the history preservation group Avenging The Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), intends to pursue further legal action, including seeking a rehearing on "serious legal issues" raised by the appeals court decision. Michael Coard, an attorney and founder of ATAC, criticized the administration's actions as an attempt to "rewrite history."