Slavery exhibits restored at Philadelphia’s President’s House

Slavery exhibits at Philadelphia’s President’s House were restored after a federal judge ordered the National Park Service to return the panels removed in January.

The ruling triggered a rapid reinstall of more than two dozen displays that document the lives of the nine enslaved people held by President George Washington at the site, according to CBS News Philadelphia.

Judge Rejects Federal Removal

Senior Judge Cynthia M. Rufe ruled that the Trump administration acted unlawfully when it removed the signage without consulting the city. She ordered officials to restore the site to its Jan. 21 condition and barred them from installing any replacement materials without Philadelphia’s approval.

Rufe compared the federal action to the “Ministry of Truth” in George Orwell’s 1984. She stated the government cannot “dissemble and disassemble historical truths.”

Slavery exhibits restored at Philadelphia’s President’s House Ahead of Deadline

National Park Service workers began reinstalling the panels on Thursday. The move came one day after the judge warned the administration it was not complying with her order. Crews restored the same plaques removed in January.

The displays included :

• “Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation”
• “Life Under Slavery”

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker visited the site and thanked workers for returning the exhibits. She said the city would continue fighting any legal challenges with “rigor and gravity.”

City Sued After Sudden Removal

The city sued the Interior Department after Park Service workers took down the panels with almost no warning on Jan. 22. Officials said the removal followed a Trump executive order targeting materials that “disparage Americans past or living,” according to The Hill.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and several counties filed briefs supporting the city, accusing the administration of trying to “rewrite and whitewash” history.

A Site Built to Tell the Full Story

The President’s House exhibit opened in 2010 after years of archaeological work and public debate. It sits on the footprint of the home where Washington and John Adams lived when Philadelphia served as the nation’s capital. The panels highlight the paradox of a nation fighting for liberty while enslaving people of African descent.

Archaeologist Cheryl LaRoche told CBS News Philadelphia that the site sparked some of the deepest public conversations she has ever had. Visitors gathered daily to learn about the excavation and the lives of the enslaved people who lived and labored there.

Slavery exhibits at Philadelphia’s President’s House : Legal Fight Continues

The Interior Department is appealing Rufe’s ruling, reports The Hill. Officials said they had planned to install updated materials offering a “fuller account” of slavery at Independence Hall before the court intervened.