Trump administration scrubs info on NH woman who escaped slavery from George Washington [View all]

https://www.nhpr.org/nh-news/2026-01-29/trump-nation-park-slavery-ona-judge-philadelphia

The federal government has removed information at a Pennsylvania national park about the people enslaved by President George Washington. One of them was Ona Judge, a woman who escaped from slavery and found her way to New Hampshire in 1796, using the Underground Railroad.

The removal is part of President Trump’s effort to rewrite exhibits at national parks he says reflect negatively on the country.

In Portsmouth, the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire is planning to honor Judge with a mural on its building this spring.

NHPR’s Morning Edition host Rick Ganley spoke with JerriAnne Boggis, the heritage trail's Executive Director.

This exhibit, which included information about Ona Judge, was dismantled from the President's House site in Philadelphia. What was your first reaction when you heard that references to her and other people enslaved by the Washingtons were removed?

Absolute disbelief. I think [the nation] had just finally started really looking at a truer history of the Founding Fathers and understanding our complex narrative. These interpretive placards were put up, and I thought, ‘We're heading in the right direction,’ and here we are taking them down to go back to that narrative, the mythology of who these men were — larger than God and not human at all, and erasing the whole story of enslavement.