What to KnowThe Trump administration has 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 Wednesday morning in the same area where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776.It comes as President Donald Trump has made dismantling diversity and inclusion initiatives a priority and in the midst of his aggressive campaign to overhaul some of Washington’s most sacred cultural and historic institutions.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. The panels telling the story of the nine slaves of President George Washington at the President’s House in Philadelphia have been replaced following a lengthy legal battle between the Trump administration and the city. The President’s House memorial — located on the corner of 6th and Market streets — honored the nine enslaved people brought by President George Washington when he moved to Philadelphia to serve as America’s first president in the late 1700s. 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. In March of 2025, however, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to restore “truth and sanity to American history” at the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum later directed the removal of “improper partisan ideology” from museums, monuments, landmarks and other public exhibits under federal control, including the President’s House in Philadelphia. The directive raised concerns about sanitizing and erasing dark sides of American history. 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 panel praised the plans for the replacement installation, writing that they were “full of historical context,” despite objections from historians and city officials that the content appears whitewashed. NBC10 went to the historical site on the corner of 6th and Market streets on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, and confirmed the panels had been replaced with new ones approved by the Trump administration. A photo of the new panels on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. “The Department is pleased the Courts have sided with the Trump administration on restoring truth and sanity to our country in our nation’s 250th. These new panels are full of historical context and highlight the momentous events that took place in the President’s House and the other sites at Independence National Historical Park,” a Department of Interior spokesperson wrote. “They acknowledge the evils of slavery, including its injustices and hypocrisies, and, by telling the stories of the nine slaves that Washington kept in the President’s House, remind us of their essential humanity. The panels also recall the price our nation paid “to finish the work that the Founders had begun and end slavery in the United States once and for all.” Through President Trump, we have encouraged Americans to visit our cultural and historic sites and engage in meaningful conversations about the moments that have shaped our country. By telling the full story, every triumph, every challenge, and every step towards a more perfect union we strengthen our shared understanding and ensure that future generations inherit not just the land we love, but the truth of the journey that brought us here.” The new panels were also posted on the U.S. National Parks Service website. The new panels still have information on enslaved people who lived in the home. They 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 the 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. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said the city intends to seek a rehearing “on serious legal issues” presented in the appeals court decision. “Overnight, under the cover of darkness, the federal government removed panels at the President’s House that told a thorough history of Philadelphia. 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,” Parker wrote on Wednesday. Ann Grosso and Ken Murray of Coatesville visited the President’s House on Wednesday after the panels were replaced. “We were confused. We’re looking at the plaques and we’re like, ‘Wait, these aren’t the plaques,'” Grosso said. “We’re very upset to hear that because this is part of our history and it should be in place the way it was.” Murray agreed with Grosso’s sentiment. “This is becoming an authoritarian government, which is horrible,” he said. Michael Coard, an attorney and founder of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), also spoke out against the replacement panels. “To say that we are outraged is an understatement,” Coard said. “Despite being very afraid, we’ve got to keep fighting.” ATAC joined the city’s lawsuit. Coard called the new exhibit a “whitewashing” of American history. “The best lie is one that has a little bit of truth in it. That’s the best lie,” Coard said. “It was a panel here called, ‘The Dirty Business of Slavery.’ That’s gone. Why is that gone?” Timeline of legal battle over slavery exhibit March 27, 2025 President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14253, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” requiring the President’s House memorial be reviewed by the Secretary of Interior, Doug Burgum. Jan. 22, 2026 The complete slavery exhibit at the President’s House was removed following orders from the National Park Service. The City of Philadelphia filled a lawsuit against Secretary of Interior Burgum and acting National Park Service Director Jessica Bowrun over its removal. The organization Avenging the Ancestors Coalition joined in the lawsuit. Jan. 27, 2026 Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro filed a legal document in support of the City of Philadelphia’s lawsuit. Jan. 29, 2026 A public hearing was held on the city’s request to have the President’s House panels returned to Philadelphia by the Department of the Interior and the National Parks Service. Lawyers representing the Department of the Interior said the city and National Parks Service entered into an agreement in 2006, which ended in 2010. The lawyers argued that full ownership of the President’s House be transferred to the National Parks Service after the completion of the project. Lawyers representing the City of Philadelphia argued that an original agreement filed in 1950 surrounding collaboration between the city and the National Parks Service superseded the 2006 to 2010 agreement Feb. 2, 2026 District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe ruled that the federal government must continue to store the President’s House displays safely, ensuring they maintain the quality they were at the time of their removal. She also ruled that the City of Philadelphia could file amended documents to their Jan. 22 injunction by Feb. 6. Feb. 16, 2026 District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe ordered that the removal of all “exhibits, panels, artwork, or other items” be restored to the status it was in as of Jan. 21, 2026 – the day before the complete removal of the President’s House exhibition. A deadline for the Trump Administration was set for Feb. 20, 2026, at 5 p.m. Judge Rufe prohibited federal agencies from making any changes to the site without mutual agreement from the City of Philadelphia. The Trump Administration, through the U.S. Department of Interior, filed an appeal to Judge Rufe’s ruling, saying the removal of the exhibit was done to “ensure historical accuracy and completeness.” Feb. 19, 2026 Some of the President’s House exhibit was reinstalled. Feb. 20, 2026 A spokesperson for District Court Judge Cynthia M. Rufe announced that she had denied all requests by the National Parks Service to delay the enforcement of her order. The exhibit was restored. Feb. 27, 2026 Pennsylvania’s United States House of Representative Brendan Boyle introduced the “Protecting American History Act” to prevent the censorship of U.S. history, following the President’s House restoration. The bill would require the National Parks Service to restore Independence National Historical Park exactly as it existed on Jan. 21, 2026, including the restoration of all signage, interpretive panels, and exhibits present on this date. It would also prohibit the National Parks Service from making any additions, removals, destruction, or interpretive changes without prior approval from Congress. April 9, 2026 A federal judge ordered the U.S. government must keep the slavery exhibit at the President’s House as is. The judge decided the Trump administration cannot remove any of the panels of the exhibition. June 13, 2026 U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Massachusetts ordered in an injunction that the Trump administration restore sites across the country that were changed under his Executive Order. June 18, 2026 A three-judge panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration could replace the slavery exhibit. The Court of Appeals said a lower court judge wrongly interpreted Philadelphia’s contract claims involving Independence National Historical Park, saying the city merely having stood to sue did not mean its argument had merit. The panel also praised the plans for the Trump administration’s replacement installation, writing that they were, “full of historical context”. July 2, 2026 The Trump administration requested a go-ahead to install the new President’s House panels, citing that they “should be fully installed without further delay.” July 3, 2026 The U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Trump administration, declaring that the replacement panels can be installed. The panels would replace the 2010 panels telling the story of the nine slaves who lived with George and Martha Washington. July 7, 2026 Philadelphia filed a petition asking a court to rehear its decision allowing the Trump administration to replace the slavery exhibit. July 15, 2026 The panels are officially replaced with a new exhibit approved by the Trump administration. Mayor Parker said the city will continue to pursue rehearing on the Third Circuit panel’s June decision and that “the fight is not over, as we will continue the fight.” ...read more read less