Folks, I almost spilled my coffee reading this one. Just days away from America’s 250th birthday, visitors to Philadelphia’s historic district are met with an unusual sight: an incomplete national park. The President’s House, a part of Independence National Historic Park, has been at the center of a months-long legal battle between the City of Philadelphia and the Trump administration over an exhibit on slavery. Bless their hearts, it seems like the Trump administration is trying to “restore truth and sanity” to American history by removing content that conflicts with their political directives.
The fight began when the Department of Interior targeted the President’s House site for change, citing an executive order to “restore truth and sanity” to American history. The original exhibit, which honored the lives of nine men and women enslaved by George Washington, was removed, and a new exhibit was proposed. However, the City of Philadelphia sued to stop the federal government from changing the exhibit and initially won in court.
US District Court Judge Cynthia Rufe wrote, “this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims — to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts.” She concluded, “It does not.” The original exhibits started to go back up, but the Trump administration appealed, and the restoration stopped.
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals judges ruled that the City of Philadelphia no longer had ownership over the President’s House site and concluded that the Trump administration’s revised exhibit was “full of historical context.” The new panels acknowledge the evil of slavery but do not share the number of slaves Washington owned. One of the new replacement panels reads in part: “privately, George Washington often expressed discomfort with the institution and a desire to see it abolished.” Yet, as a Virginia plantation owner, his wealth and livelihood were deeply tied to it.
The ruling came as a gut punch to the city, and many believed the matter was over. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker pledged to “pursue every legal action possible” to reverse the decision. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro wrote that he would “stand up to anyone who tries to whitewash some of the most important chapters of our shared history.”
Civil rights activist and attorney Michael Coard argued that the controversy had given the lesser-known slavery exhibit more PR and street cred than they could have ever paid for. Local volunteers are sharing binders with the text of the original missing panels and reading them out loud to tourists. Tour guide Mijuel Johnson points to the names of enslaved people etched into the President’s House exhibit near a removed panel.
In conclusion, the battle over the President’s House exhibit is far from over. The City of Philadelphia could request the full Third Circuit Court of Appeals to hear the case or even appeal to the Supreme Court. As the city prepares for its 250th birthday celebrations and the World Cup, the President’s House remains conspicuously incomplete. It’s a reminder that history is complex, and its presentation can be subjective. As I finish my coffee, I’m left wondering what the future holds for this historic site and the story it tells. And that’s a wrap, folks! 🐘
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
