Battle for Independence Park

As of this January, George Washington was the most heavily criticized individual at Independence Park in Philadelphia. Because he had brought several slaves north to live in the President’s House, National Park Service signs had characterized his actions as “deplorable,” “profoundly disturbing,” and having “mocked the nation’s pretense to be a beacon of liberty.” Those signs, produced during the Obama presidency, accused Washington and other founders of “injustice” and “immorality.” Sign headings read “Washington’s Deceit” and “Washington’s Death and a New Hope for Freedom.” The hero of the American Revolution was portrayed as the villain of Independence Park.

Located just one block north of the hallowed ground of Independence Hall, the President’s House Site contains the ruins of the house where Washington and John Adams lived during most of their presidencies. When visiting the site in August 2025 for a Claremont Review of Books essay, I found that 25 of its 30 signs were about slavery or race relations. The site essentially ignored the watershed events that took place there during America’s first two presidencies, and it discussed slavery without any nuance or even-handedness. In the left’s simplistic oppressor-versus-oppressed narrative, the “Father of His Country” was an oppressor — meriting condemnation, not celebration.

JH

About the Author

Jeffrey H. Anderson

Jeffrey H. Anderson is the president of the American Main Street Initiative and was the director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics (2017–21).

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As of this January, George Washington was the most heavily criticized individual at Independence Park in Philadelphia. Because he had brought several slaves north to live in the President’s House, National Park Service signs had characterized his actions as “deplorable,” “profoundly disturbing,” and having “mocked the nation’s pretense to be a beacon of liberty.” Those signs, produced during the Obama presidency, accused Washington and other founders of “injustice” and “immorality.” Sign headings read “Washington’s Deceit” and “Washington’s Death and a New Hope for Freedom.” The hero of the American Revolution was portrayed as the villain of Independence Park.

Located just one block north of the hallowed ground of Independence Hall, the President’s House Site contains the ruins of the house where Washington and John Adams lived during most of their presidencies. When visiting the site in August 2025 for a Claremont Review of Books essay, I found that 25 of its 30 signs were about slavery or race relations. The site essentially ignored the watershed events that took place there during America’s first two presidencies, and it discussed slavery without any nuance or even-handedness. In the left’s simplistic oppressor-versus-oppressed narrative, the “Father of His Country” was an oppressor — meriting condemnation, not celebration.