WASHINGTON — The National Park Service (NPS) has reinstated content and made necessary corrections to its webpage dedicated to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, following reports and public dissatisfaction regarding recent modifications.
According to NPS spokeswoman Rachel Pawlitz, the changes to the webpage were executed without the approval of either NPS leadership or senior Department officials. As a result, she announced via email on Monday that the webpage was promptly restored to its original format. The identity of the individual who ordered these adjustments and the reasoning behind them have not been disclosed.
The alterations, initially highlighted by The Washington Post, included the removal of Tubman’s image from the page’s header and various textual modifications. By utilizing the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, a comparative analysis revealed that pertinent references to slavery had been omitted, as well as modifications to descriptions regarding the railroad’s significance and the grim realities surrounding it.
For instance, the original introduction highlighted the Underground Railroad’s pivotal role in “the resistance to enslavement through escape and flight.” In contrast, the amended text redefined the railroad as “one of the most significant expressions of the American civil rights movement,” emphasizing its role in bridging divides across race, religion, regional differences, and nationality.
This issue coincides with broader governmental modifications aimed at aligning with former President Donald Trump’s campaign opposing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within federal agencies. Such changes have often led officials to hastily remove and subsequently reinstate online content upon public revelation of the modifications.
President Trump has also directed Vice President JD Vance to oversee efforts to expunge what he describes as “improper ideology” from the Smithsonian museums, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Public controversies have arisen in other areas as well, such as the Pentagon’s removal of web pages covering the Navajo Code Talkers’ World War II contributions and Jackie Robinson’s military service, both of which were reinstated after public protests.
Following the disclosure of the Tubman-related edits, NPS officials conceded the changes but denied any attempt to diminish her historical significance or minimize the harsh truths of America’s history with slavery. Pawlitz emphasized the agency’s commitment to celebrating Tubman’s legacy as a deeply spiritual individual dedicated to freedom, mentioning numerous pages and two parks named in her honor.
The unanticipated revisions at NPS were met with immediate criticism from civil rights leaders, including Bernice King, daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who expressed on Instagram that these changes represent “an attack on truth,” an effort to erase history that could otherwise contribute to societal improvement, and an evasion of uncomfortable truths.