The federal government revived its push to censor signage about American history and science in national parks, according to internal documents reviewed by the Washington Post.

What's happening?

On March 27, the White House issued Executive Order 14253, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History."

Although the order targeted institutions like the Smithsonian and national parks, it curiously failed to stipulate what constituted "a false reconstruction of American history," minimizing "certain historical events or figures," or "any other improper partisan ideology."

That ambiguity left National Park Service staff with the task of deciphering and acting upon it following a "new wave of orders" issued in January.

EO 14253 specifically mentioned "corrosive ideology" on display at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. 

On Jan. 22, the New York Times reported that NPS workers dismantled its "Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation" exhibit, citing footage shared on X that day.

The National Park Service has started dismantling exhibits about slavery at the President's House in Independence National Historical Park. pic.twitter.com/P0vaOIpbsd

— Philadelphia Inquirer Politics (@PoliticsINQ) January 22, 2026

The Department of the Interior issued directives to no fewer than 17 national parks in January to remove signage, per the Post.

In addition to removing an exhibit documenting chattel slavery on Jan. 22, removal orders targeted information about the effect of rising temperatures on Glacier National Park and a display detailing the "forced removal of Native Americans" at the Grand Canyon.

Why is this concerning?

Kristen Brengel of the National Parks Conservation Association said the censorship "should offend every American," emphasizing that NPS staff were coerced into executing the orders.

"Everyone understands this history. It's not debatable, but they're being forced to select stories because they think the administration will threaten their jobs if they don't," Brengel added.

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Broadly, the removals targeted exhibits featuring "any references to historic racism and sexism, as well as climate change and LGBTQ rights" in the United States, though "seemingly uncontroversial scientific or historical topics" like fossils were targeted for undisclosed reasons.

Organizations like the NPCA and the Sierra Club issued statements condemning the move.

"Americans come to our national parks for honest, authentic experiences and we are capable of hearing about our tragedies and victories alike there," the NPCA wrote.

"This systematic erasure is deeply unpopular with Americans across the political spectrum. It is painful, it is wrong, and it will not stand," the group added.

PEN America's Kasey Meehan warned the removal of national park signage was a "blatant erasure of history and educational materials" and "an attack on our freedoms."

What's being done about it?

In 2025, a group of librarians, data experts, and historians launched Save Our Signs, a massive effort to preserve knowledge and American cultural history at national parks.

SOS vowed aid the NPS in their mission to "steward our nation's stories and make them accessible to all Americans."

On Jan. 22, Philadelphia initiated the first formal legal challenge to EO 14253, suing the Department of the Interior and the NPS to restore the exhibit removed under the order, the New York Times reported.

Former Big Bend superintendent Bob Krumenaker told the Post that Americans should remember NPS staff were forced to follow the order, adding that he hoped "they're saving these exhibits for when things change so they can put them back up."

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