National Park Service Faces Backlash After Removing Harriet Tubman References from Underground Railroad Webpage The National Park Service (NPS) has quietly revised its webpage on the Underground Railroad, removing a prominent image and quotation of Harriet Tubman—the network’s most renowned “conductor”—while reframing the narrative to emphasize “Black/White cooperation” and “bridging racial divides.” The changes, first reported by The Washington Post and confirmed via archival comparisons, have sparked accusations of historical revisionism and political interference.

Key Changes to the Webpage Previously, the NPS page detailed the struggles of enslaved individuals seeking freedom and explicitly linked the Underground Railroad’s formation to resistance against the Fugitive Slave Act. The introduction now opens with two paragraphs highlighting “American ideals of liberty and freedom” without directly mentioning slavery. A collage of U.S. Postal Service stamps featuring Black and white abolitionists, including Tubman, replaces her standalone image and quote.

Critics argue the edits minimize the central role of slavery and the agency of Black freedom seekers. Fergus Bordewich, a historian and author of Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America, called Tubman’s removal “offensive and absurd,” stating the revised page “diminishes history by oversimplifying it”.

Political Context and Broader Pattern The revisions align with broader changes to federal websites since the Trump administration resumed office, including alterations to content addressing slavery and Jim Crow-era segregation. Sources familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that political appointees at the Department of the Interior, which oversees the NPS, have instructed staff to identify “problematic” historical content.

Contrast with Recent NPS Efforts The edits conflict with recent NPS initiatives to expand recognition of Underground Railroad sites. In 2024, the agency added 16 new locations to its Network to Freedom program, including sites like Florida’s Barrancas, where freedom seekers like Henry—who escaped with an iron bar riveted to his leg—later joined Union forces. Turkiya Lowe, NPS’s chief historian, emphasized in 2024 that such efforts aim to “connect the public to the struggle for self-liberation”.

Unanswered Questions The NPS has not clarified whether the revisions reflect new interpretive priorities or external directives. A dedicated Harriet Tubman NPS page remains unchanged as of January 28, 2025.

Reactions and Implications Historians warn that softening references to slavery risks distorting public understanding. “Americans can handle complex histories,” Bordewich said. The changes arrive amid a national reckoning over racial justice, juxtaposed against efforts to preserve marginalized narratives, such as the 2024 NPS grants supporting research on freedom seekers.

Critics fear the edits reflect a broader trend of minimizing systemic racism in historical narratives. As debates over “divisive concepts” laws and curriculum restrictions continue, the NPS revisions underscore tensions between historical accuracy and political messaging.

This story is developing.