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npca917 1863 photograph Scourged Back McPherson and Oliver circa 1863
An 1863 photograph entitled "Scourged Back," depicts an enslaved man named Peter with prominent whip scars. Per the Washington Post, the Department of Interior ordered this photo removed from at least one national park in 2025. McPherson and Oliver circa 1863

September 19, 2025 - The Administration is ordering national parks to remove historical information it considers disparaging to America at parks across the country. Following a March executive order, which asserted that some of the history presented at parks advances a corrosive ideology, the Department of the Interior issued an order instructing the National Park Service to review materials and identify any content that “inappropriately disparages Americans past or living.” It also asked visitors to report negative information being shared about past or living Americans, but they mostly criticized the administration and applauded the parks. 

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Now the administration has reportedly begun to act on this policy, ordering the removal of information at parks including Harpers Ferry National Historic Park in West Virginia.
 
In reaction to this, Emily Thompson, Executive Director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, issued the following statement:
 
“This is a dangerous and unprecedented move. History is not meant to comfort; it is meant to teach. The removal of historical information from national parks and monuments undermines the core mission of these public spaces: to educate, preserve, and provide an honest reflection of our nation’s past—so that we can build a better future together.
 
“Whether it’s the legacy of Indigenous displacement, slavery, civil rights struggles, or environmental exploitation, these stories deserve to be told accurately and respectfully. Their removal is in fact what disparages our collective history. National parks must remain places where all people can engage with the full, unfiltered story of America, acknowledging the reality of all of those who came before.
“To remove our past is to risk repeating it. We must protect the integrity of our history and ensure our national parks remain spaces of truth and learning, free from all political agendas.”

The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks represents over 3,400 current, former, and retired employees and volunteers of the National Park Service, with over 50,000 collective years of stewardship of America’s most precious natural and cultural resources. Recognized as the Voices of Experience, the Coalition educates, speaks, and acts for the preservation and protection of the National Park System, and mission-related programs of the National Park Service. More information can be found at https://protectnps.org

Source: Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks