Trump administration restores slavery exhibits at Independence Park
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National Park Service employees were in the process of putting panels from a slavery exhibit back up at the President's House Site on Thursday. Photo: Mike D'Onofrio/Axios
The National Park Service began restoring the slavery exhibits at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia nearly a month after they were taken down as part of President Trump's effort to fight "improper ideology."
Why it matters: The return of the panels at one of America's foremost historic sites is a defining win for Philadelphia — and could strengthen a separate ongoing legal challenge to the Trump administration's attempt to rewrite American history at other national parks.
Driving the news: Workers had reinstalled more than a dozen glass panels that are part of the exhibit on Thursday afternoon at the President's House Site.
- The remaining panels are still being reinstalled.
- The exhibits tell the story of the nine enslaved people who lived in George Washington's Philly home.
Catch up quick: NPS had been keeping the panels in storage since they were taken down on Jan. 22.
- NPS said it was complying with Trump's 2025 order to restore what he called "truth and sanity" to American history.
- The Parker administration then sued, claiming the move violated an agreement requiring the NPS to consult with the city before altering the historic site.
- Several of Philly's collar counties, including Montco and Bucks, backed Philly's lawsuit in court.
Worth noting: The NPS and U.S. Department of the Interior were facing a Friday deadline from a federal judge to restore the exhibits.
What they're saying: Mayor Cherelle Parker tells Axios that while she is celebrating the return of the exhibit, "this is not the end of the legal road."
- "We will handle all legal challenges that arise with the same rigor and gravity as we have done thus far," she added.
The other side: The NPS and Department of the Interior didn't respond to Axios' requests for comment.
- The White House declined to comment, deferring to the Department of the Interior.
Between the lines: Federal judge Cynthia Rufe wrote in an opinion that the NPS likely violated a cooperative agreement it had with the city on the President's House over changing the site.
- The judge also agreed that visitors would leave the historical site with a misleading view of history if the exhibit remained stored away.
- The exhibits, Rufe wrote, are a tribute to enslaved people and their struggle for freedom, and an "enduring reminder of the inherent contradictions emanating from this country's founding."
What's next: The Interior Department on Wednesday had asked for the judge's ruling to be stayed, saying it believed it had a "strong" chance of winning an appeal, per court records.
- The city's lawyers, in a filing Thursday, urged the judge to reject the government's request, arguing it "adds nothing new to this Court's thorough and cogent prior analysis."