Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
As the U.S. marks 250 years of independence, a battle is raging over how the nation tells its history. The Trump administration is changing exhibits at national parks and museums, removing references to slavery at George Washington's President's House in Philadelphia, taking down climate change signs at coastal sites. Conservatives say it's time to celebrate America's achievements, not dwell on its failures. Historians warn of unprecedented political interference. And for Native Americans and Black Americans, the stakes are even higher: whose voices belong in the national story? What gets remembered and what gets erased? An explainer on the fight over America's collective memory.
CREDITS
Report: Ines Pohl, Bureau Chief DW Studio Washington
Camera: Sergii Dogotar
Script Editor: Sarah Hofmann
Producer: Amani Hughes
Editing: Nils Hünerfürst
Executive Producers: Sarah Hofmann, Melanie von Marschalck
#dwhistory #dwhistorymatters
For more visit: dw.com/en/culture/s-1441
Please follow DW's netiquette: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G
As the U.S. marks 250 years of independence, a battle is raging over how the nation tells its history. The Trump administration is changing exhibits at national parks and museums, removing references to slavery at George Washington's President's House in Philadelphia, taking down climate change signs at coastal sites. Conservatives say it's time to celebrate America's achievements, not dwell on its failures. Historians warn of unprecedented political interference. And for Native Americans and Black Americans, the stakes are even higher: whose voices belong in the national story? What gets remembered and what gets erased? An explainer on the fight over America's collective memory.
CREDITS
Report: Ines Pohl, Bureau Chief DW Studio Washington
Camera: Sergii Dogotar
Script Editor: Sarah Hofmann
Producer: Amani Hughes
Editing: Nils Hünerfürst
Executive Producers: Sarah Hofmann, Melanie von Marschalck
#dwhistory #dwhistorymatters
For more visit: dw.com/en/culture/s-1441
Please follow DW's netiquette: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G
