The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Edmond Public Schools.
President Donald Trump signed Executive Order #14253, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” on March 27, 2025. This executive order calls for signs that promote the removal of “corrosive ideology” from national parks to avoid “disparag[ing] Americans past or living,” which, in his opinion, undermines the positive impacts the U.S. has had. At first glance, it seems the order is meant to remove false or exaggerated narratives that distort the historical truths; however, in reality, it targets informative pieces of United States history.
Along with parks, the order states that multiple museums, such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, promote “narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and racist.” According to Trump, these narratives “disregard the progress America has made and ideals that continue to inspire millions around the globe.” The order calls for these ideologies to be removed from museums that supposedly tarnish the nation’s reputation; however, it is a direct attack aimed at marginalized communities by erasing major parts of the nation’s history.
Multiple informative signs across national parks about women, Indigenous people and formerly enslaved African Americans were taken down in response to the executive order. At the Independence National Historical Park–a historical district intended to preserve the nation’s founding history–multiple signs about the nine slaves George Washington took with him to Philadelphia were removed in response to this order. As of April 9, half of the original signs were reinstated by a federal judge’s order after the city of Philadelphia filed a lawsuit against the federal government. However, federal officials appealed the judge’s decision, leaving the other half in limbo.
The signs that were removed do not editorialize U.S. history or fabricate the truth; they are simply informative signs of important pieces of U.S. history. The information from these signs provided both the positive and negative aspects of history, making for a rounded piece to inform citizens who choose to visit these historical sites.
It is unacceptable to remove informative signs, and they should be reinstated immediately. If said signs were promoting false information, it would be valid to remove them because only then would they be warping the truth of history. The order removes signs with vital pieces of information about critical events, such as slavery, that had appalling and lasting impacts on society in America, which must not be forgotten.
The executive order makes multiple remarks about “indoctrinating ideology” while referring to the negative side of American history, implying Biden’s administration advanced certain ideologies. However, informing U.S. citizens of their history demands the full story to ensure past mistakes are not repeated. By removing difficult topics, citizens lose the opportunity to form opinions and make informed decisions.
While the U.S. is known for equal opportunity, many minorities were not allowed to enjoy the rights and protections guaranteed by the Constitution and had to fight to gain them. Labeling their battles as corrosive or divisive and removing their stories from historical locations diminishes their efforts that brought about the civil rights that are fought to be kept today.
By saying the U.S. has an unparalleled history of “individual rights, advanced liberty and human happiness,” the decades of discrimination that still impact minorities today are ignored. Downplaying the problematic events that took place in the U.S. leads citizens into believing social issues such as racism and slavery were not as bad as people think; when in reality, both were oppressive eras that continue to impact people today.
The history of the nation is crucial to understand and accept. When history is erased, damage follows. Just because parts of a nation’s history are not positive does not mean they should not be rewritten to paint an ideal picture.
Contact Erin Hamm at [email protected]
