American Evolution
George Washington’s White House had 9 slaves. Does it matter?
The weight of a new era is pressing in. The second Trump presidency is unfolding against the backdrop of escalating political tensions, geoeconomic disruption and shifting demographics. Can the US adapt quickly enough? ST’s US Bureau Chief Bhagyashree Garekar reports as America reflects on its 250th birthday milestone.
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A panel which relates the story of Ona Judge, an enslaved woman in first US president George Washington’s household who escaped from the President’s House in Philadelphia in 1796.
ST PHOTO: BHAGYASHREE GAREKAR
- The President’s House exhibit in Philadelphia reveals George Washington owned nine slaves while living there, sparking debate on how slavery is presented in American history.
- The Trump administration pushed to revise museum exhibits, emphasising national greatness and downplaying slavery’s role, causing controversy.
- This controversy is part of broader culture wars over how America’s history and social issues are taught and represented in public institutions.
AI generated
PHILADELPHIA – The afternoon sun filters into the cheerful, red-brick memorial that marks the spot where once stood the home of George Washington, America’s first president.
Visitors stream in, pausing at the panels that describe the presidency in its infancy. One corner draws particular attention. Some shrug, move on. Others linger, break into conversation.
