Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro filed an amicus brief supporting Philadelphia's lawsuit against the Trump administration's removal of an exhibit about slavery at Independence National Historical Park. The exhibit, "Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation," memorialized nine enslaved people who worked at the President's House Site and included panels on the slave trade and economy. The Interior Department removed it citing President Trump's March 2025 executive order against what it called "historical revision." Philadelphia's suit argues the removal violated a 2006 agreement requiring city approval for exhibit changes.
This case matters because it tests the balance of federal and local authority over historical interpretation at national parks, and it highlights ongoing political battles over how American history—particularly slavery—is presented in public spaces. The outcome could set a precedent for how executive orders targeting "corrosive ideology" affect museum and park exhibits nationwide, directly impacting the preservation of accurate, inclusive history at federally managed cultural sites.