Trump Administration to Display Statue of Founding Father Who Enslaved Dozens

The National Park Service plans to install a bronze statue of Caesar Rodney, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and an enslaver, in Washington, D.C. for up to six months.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 12:54am

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The Trump administration plans to display a statue of Caesar Rodney, a signer of the Declaration of Independence who enslaved 200 people, in Washington, D.C. as part of its commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding. The statue was previously taken down in 2020 from its location in Wilmington, Delaware amid racial justice protests following the killing of George Floyd.

Why it matters

The decision to display Rodney's statue, which was removed due to his history as an enslaver, is seen by civil rights advocates as a potential reversal of decades of social progress and part of the Trump administration's campaign against what it calls "anti-American" ideology.

The details

The National Park Service plans to install the bronze statue of the Delaware plantation owner on horseback in Washington, D.C.'s Freedom Plaza for up to six months as part of the Trump administration's commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding. The statue was previously taken down in 2020 from its location in Wilmington, Delaware after 97 years, amid racial justice protests following the killing of George Floyd.

  • The statue will be displayed in Washington, D.C. for up to six months in 2026.
  • The statue was taken down from its location in Wilmington, Delaware in 2020 amid racial justice protests.

The players

Caesar Rodney

A signer of the Declaration of Independence who enslaved 200 people on his Delaware plantation.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who ordered the dismantling of slavery exhibits and restoration of Confederate statues as part of a campaign against what he calls "anti-American" ideology.

National Park Service

The federal agency that plans to install the statue of Caesar Rodney in Washington, D.C.

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The takeaway

This decision by the Trump administration to display a statue of a Founding Father who enslaved dozens of people highlights the ongoing debate over how to commemorate historical figures with complex legacies, and the potential for such actions to be seen as a regression in the progress made on racial justice and equality.