Leaked Files Point To Trump Administration's Review Of American History

Thousands of newly revealed images, documents, signs and brochures—items that help visitors understand the significance and history of their national parks – point to the extent of revisionist history that could result from President Donald Trump’s decree to scrub material that reflects negatively on the United States.

An internal database posted anonymously on the Internet Archive contains submissions from all corners of the National Park System in response to the administration’s directive that parks should be free of interpretation that disparages "past or living Americans or that fail to emphasize the beauty, grandeur, and abundance of landscapes and other natural features."

The materials, even including pages from Junior Ranger guidebooks, that were submitted by park staff in response to the order are wide-ranging, from slavery and global warming to the battle for civil rights in America.

An interpretive sign from the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, a script at Gateway National Recreation Area intended to bring to life the story of an escaped enslaved man who joined the British army during the Revolutionary War, a sign from Bryce Canyon National Park that discusses healthy forests, and a variety of interpretive materials tied to the civil rights era are among materials contained in the files.

The volume of materials is breathtaking and isn't easily reviewed due to the sheer size — 7.7 gigabytes of folders — but raised concerns Monday at the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA)

"The administration’s orders to censor history and science at America’s national parks continue to sow chaos and confusion across the country," said Alan Spears, NPCA's senior director for cultural resources. "This database makes it clear that dedicated national park staff are facing enormous pressure to police park exhibits and report any materials that the administration may seek to hide from the American people.

"National park rangers are some of America’s most beloved public servants," continued Spears. "They signed up for this job to protect national parks and provide Americans with once-in-a-lifetime park experiences, not participate in a government censorship campaign."

With the parks chronically understaffed for many years, and the workforce now suffering a reduction of 25 percent under Trump, it’s unclear who was assigned to spend the staff hours needed to review and compile the materials, and then submit them to the administration with queries as to whether they met the president’s order of disparaging or negative.  

The materials, which the Washington Post was first to report on, were released via the Internet Archive by an anonymous individual, or individuals.

"This data belongs to the American people, who need to know what is being done in their name," they said in a note accompanying the images. "Donald Trump, Russell Vought, Doug Burgum, and the rest of this corrupt administration are trying to use your public lands to erase history and undermine science."

The administration's attempt to erase science, the illegal incarceration of minorities, and examples of white nationalism is intended to "turn the American people against their national parks. They want to discredit the national parks and set the stage to privatize them," the cover letter added.

A quick review of the materials also found placards erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy, interpretive panels at Gulf Islands National Seashore that explained how an 8-year-old escaped slavery, and a Junior Ranger Guidebook from Fort Raleigh National Historic Site that contained an explanation of emancipation from slavery. From Guildford Courthouse National Military Park the staff sent an image of a placard discussing the Founding Fathers' desire for a president, "not a king" to lead the fledgling United States of America.

The materials' release was just latest step in efforts to thwart the administration's rewriting, or erasure, of history in the parks. Last summer a group of individuals at the University of Minnesota launched a Save Our Signs campaign in which national park visitors were invited to take photos of park interpretive panels and send them to the group for safekeeping. Other organizations, such as the George Wright Society, embarked on efforts to capture and catalogue webpages before they could be altered or removed by the administration.

Just last month groups filed a lawsuit against the Interior Department to challenge its efforts to censor history and science at park sites across the nation.