Federal Judge Cynthia Rufe has ordered the Donald Trump administration to immediately restore an exhibit dedicated to slavery at the historic presidential residence in Philadelphia. The exhibition, commemorating nine people enslaved by George Washington, was removed in January by the National Park Service. In harsh language, the judge compared the government's actions to Orwell's Ministry of Truth, pointing to an unacceptable attempt by state authorities to manipulate historical facts.

Court Order for Reinstallation

Federal Judge Cynthia Rufe ordered the return of an exhibition about slavery under George Washington to a historic site in Philadelphia after its removal by the government.

Orwellian Comparisons

In the ruling's justification, the judge used references to George Orwell's 1984, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to manipulate historical facts.

Lawsuit by the City of Philadelphia

The court's actions are the result of a lawsuit by the authorities of Philadelphia, who opposed the dismantling of educational panels dedicated to nine enslaved people.

District Judge Cynthia Rufe issued a landmark ruling, ordering the National Park Service (NPS) to immediately reinstall educational panels about slavery at the President's House Site in Philadelphia. This decision came on Presidents' Day, lending the case a symbolic dimension. In her ruling's justification, Judge Rufe directly referenced the dystopia of George Orwell's „1984”, quoting the slogan „ignorance is strength”. She stated that the actions of the Donald Trump administration resemble attempts to erase inconvenient facts from the nation's history. The dispute concerns a site that served as the presidential residence for George Washington and John Adams before the capital moved to Washington, D.C. The exhibition focuses on the fates of nine people who were owned by the first U.S. president during his stay in Philadelphia. NPS removed the exhibition in January, which prompted an immediate reaction from the authorities of Philadelphia, who filed a lawsuit against the federal government. The city argued that removing the panels without public consultation and substantive justification violated the law. The judge granted the request for a preliminary injunction, ordering the materials to be returned to the site pending a final resolution of the case. The President's House Site in Philadelphia was the presidential residence from 1790 to 1800. Archaeological discoveries in 2000 confirmed the existence of slave quarters in direct proximity to President Washington's office. Federal authorities defended the decision to dismantle the exhibit, claiming it required updating and did not fully reflect the historical context. However, human rights defenders and historians see this action as part of a broader historical policy by the White House, aimed at minimizing the role of slavery in the history of the United States' formation. The court's decision obligates the Department of the Interior to immediately suspend any work altering the current form of the exhibition and to restore the removed educational elements. „An attempt by a government body to change historical facts brings to mind Orwell's Ministry of Truth and violates a fundamental principle of honesty towards the past.” — Cynthia Rufe9 — enslaved people commemorated by the exhibition [{"dataISO": "2026-01-15", "data": "January 2026", "wydarzenie": "Removal of slavery panels by NPS"}, {"dataISO": "2026-02-16", "data": "February 16, 2026", "wydarzenie": "Injunction issued by Judge Rufe"}, {"dataISO": "2026-02-17", "data": "February 17, 2026", "wydarzenie": "Deadline for restoring the exhibition"}]

Mentioned People

  • Cynthia Rufe — Federal judge in Pennsylvania who issued the order to restore the exhibition.
  • George Washington — First president of the USA, whose slaves are the subject of the disputed exhibition.
  • Donald Trump — President of the USA, whose administration made the decision to remove the exhibition.