September 17, 2025
The Scourged Back shows enslaved man, Peter Gordon’s, scarred skin after an untold number of lashings.
The Trump administration is rumored to have ordered the removal of a Civil War artifact that displays extensive scarring on an enslaved man from the National Gallery of Art. The image titled The Scourged Back has been widely circulated since its production in 1983. It is one of many artifacts, related to slavery, that the Trump administration is attempting to erase.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle denied the allegations in statement to People.
“This is fake news. No decisions have been made on this exhibit – it is under review to ensure compliance with the Executive Order,” Ingles said.
However, the Washington Post cites four individual sources that confirm the image has been ordered removed.
This is just one of the many acts undertaken by the government to purge national parks of “corrosive ideology.” Under the executive order “Restoring Truth and Sanity To American History,” the administration wants to rid the country of “signs referring to racial discrimination and the hostility of White people.”
The Scourged Back shows an enslaved man, Peter Gordon’s, scarred skin after an untold number of lashings. The image was taken to emphasize the horrors inflicted upon enslaved people. Historians say it was widely distributed during the Civil War and helped garner empathy and awareness of the suffering enslaved Americans endured.
The executive order grants the Interior Department broad authority to remove interpretive signage, educational displays, and gift shop items deemed to present an incomplete or inaccurate portrayal of American history. There is a specific interest in minimizing exhibits that paint a full picture of racism, slavery, or systemic oppression. In several national parks, including Harpers Ferry Historic Park and the President’s House Site in Philadelphia, staff have identified more than 30 signs and exhibits for review or potential removal, according to The Washington Post.
Park Service spokesperson Rachel Pawlitz issued a statement about the review of artifacts that may fall under Trump’s executive order.
“Interpretive materials that disproportionately emphasize negative aspects of U.S. history or historical figures, without acknowledging broader context or national progress, can unintentionally distort understanding rather than enrich it.”
The Scourged Back is a striking image that reveals the violent nature of America’s past, telling a tale of horrors from a pivotal point in the country’s history. Horrors that many fear, if not acknowledged, may be repeated.
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