Judge Orders Trump Administration to Restore Exhibit on Washington’s Enslaved People
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore an exhibit detailing the lives of nine people enslaved by George Washington at his former Philadelphia home. The ruling came on President’s Day, February 16, 2026, the holiday honoring Washington’s legacy, after the National Park Service removed the exhibit last month.
Background of the Dispute
The city of Philadelphia filed a lawsuit in January after the National Park Service removed explanatory panels from Independence National Historical Park, the site where George and Martha Washington lived with nine enslaved individuals in the 1790s, when Philadelphia briefly served as the nation’s capital. The removal was a direct result of a Trump executive order issued on March 27, 2025, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” This order directed the Interior Department to ensure that national parks and landmarks did not display elements that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”
The Court’s Ruling
U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe mandated that all materials be restored to their original condition although the legal challenge to the removal is ongoing. She also prohibited Trump officials from installing replacement materials that present a different interpretation of history. In her written order, Judge Rufe, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, began with a quote from George Orwell’s 1984, drawing a parallel between the Trump administration and the novel’s Ministry of Truth, which revised historical records to align with its own narrative.
“As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto ‘Ignorance is Strength,’ 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,” Rufe wrote. “It does not.”
Details of the Removed Exhibit
The exhibit, established two decades ago through a collaboration between the city of Philadelphia and federal officials, provided biographical information about each of the nine individuals enslaved by the Washingtons at the Philadelphia residence. These individuals included Austin, Christopher Sheels, Giles, Hercules, Joe Richardson, Moll, Oney Judge, Paris, and Richmond.
Notably, the exhibit highlighted the story of Oney Judge, who was born into slavery at the Washingtons’ Mount Vernon plantation and escaped from their Philadelphia home in 1796. She fled to New Hampshire, a free state, while Washington attempted to reclaim her through advertisements. The site was added to the National Underground Railroad Network in 2022, recognizing its connection to resistance against enslavement.
Broader Context: Removal of Historical Content
The removal of the Philadelphia exhibit is part of a broader pattern of the Trump administration removing content related to the history of marginalized groups from national parks and monuments. Similar actions included removing signage at the Grand Canyon National Park that acknowledged the displacement of Native American tribes and removing a rainbow flag and references to transgender people from the Stonewall National Monument. AP News reported on the broader trend of removing historical content.
Reactions to the Ruling
Several local politicians and Black community leaders celebrated the court’s decision. State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, a Philadelphia Democrat, stated that the community had successfully resisted an attempt by the Trump administration to “whitewash our history.”
The Interior Department has not yet responded to requests for comment on the ruling. It remains unclear when the exhibit will be restored, and federal officials have the option to appeal the decision.