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Federal Judge Orders Immediate Restoration of Slavery Exhibit Amid Expanding Park Removal Lawsuits

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Trump executive order launches systematic park‑display audit President Donald Trump signed the Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History executive order on March 27, 2025, directing the Interior Department to review monuments and interpretive exhibits for “extraordinary heritage” content, a move that spurred the removal of climate‑change, LGBTQ, slavery and racism displays nationwide[1].

Judge Cynthia Rufe mandates Friday deadline for slavery panels U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe ordered the Trump administration to reinstall the nine‑enslaved‑people exhibit at George Washington’s Philadelphia home by the upcoming Friday, issuing an injunction that also bars the creation of alternative historical scripts while the case proceeds[2][4].

Interior Department defends removals and proposes new exhibit The Interior spokesperson said the agency’s changes were routine updates and announced plans for a new display that would “provide a fuller account of the history of slavery at Independence Hall,” while simultaneously appealing the restoration order[2][4].

Broad coalition sues, accusing government of erasing history coalition including the National Parks Conservation Association, American Association for State and Local History and others filed a Massachusetts District Court lawsuit alleging the Interior Department unlawfully erased scientific and historical truths, citing roughly 80 flagged items from sites such as the Selma‑to‑Montgomery Trail and Glacier National Park[1][3].

Legal and legislative constraints intensify the dispute Judge Rufe highlighted congressional statutes that limit the Interior Department’s authority to unilaterally alter park interpretive material, reinforcing the city’s standing; the administration has appealed the ruling to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, while the White House calls the lawsuit premature[4][2].

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Timeline

2006 – The City of Philadelphia and the National Park Service sign a cooperative agreement that obligates both parties to consult before any alteration of interpretive materials at the President’s House Site in Independence National Historical Park [8].

2010 – Philadelphia funds and installs exhibit panels that detail the lives of the nine enslaved people who lived at George Washington’s Philadelphia residence, creating a permanent educational resource [2][7].

Mar 27 2025 – President Donald Trump signs the executive order Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, directing the Interior Department to audit and remove museum and park content he labels “corrosive ideology” [3][4][8].

Sept 2025 – Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issues a directive to strip slavery‑related signage from national parks, including a famous photograph of a former slave with back scars, and urges displays to emphasize “great achievements and progress” [4].

2025 (throughout the year) – The National Parks Conservation Association, the American Association for State and Local History, and other groups file a Massachusetts lawsuit alleging the Interior Department’s systematic erasure of climate‑change, LGBTQ, and slavery exhibits [3].

Dec 19 2025 – An Interior Department memo orders all national‑park gift‑shop merchandise deemed “DEI” to be removed, extending the administration’s crackdown on diversity content [9].

Jan 23 2026 – National Park Service crews dismantle the slavery‑exhibit panels at the President’s House Site, leaving only engraved names on a cement wall; the City of Philadelphia files a federal lawsuit claiming the removal violates the 2006 agreement and was done without notice [4][8][2].

Jan 30 2026 – During a hearing, Judge Cynthia Rufe rebukes DOJ lawyers as “dangerous” and “horrifying,” warning that the government cannot decide what history is shown, and she announces she will inspect the stored panels before issuing a ruling [7].

Feb 16 2026 – Judge Rufe issues an injunction ordering the Trump administration to restore the removed slavery panels, invoking George Orwell’s 1984 and citing congressional limits on Interior authority; Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson posts, “Black history is American history” [1].

Feb 18 2026 – Judge Rufe sets a Friday deadline for the administration to reinstall the panels, bars any alternative scripts, and notes the administration has appealed the order to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals [5].

Feb 19 2026 – The Interior Department announces plans for a “fuller account of the history of slavery at Independence Hall” while appealing the restoration order; the department also defends its broader park‑content removals under the 2025 executive order [3][6].

Feb 20 2026 (approx.) – The administration files its appeal with the 3rd Circuit, seeking to replace the original panels with a new interpretive narrative [5][6].

July 4 2026 (250th anniversary) – The United States marks its 250th founding anniversary; millions of visitors are expected at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historical Park, and the restored slavery exhibit is slated to be on display for the celebrations [5].

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