NEW YORK — A Smithsonian museum in Manhattan presents a sharply critical account of George Washington, the Revolutionary War and America’s early years, while some historical context that complicates that narrative is omitted or given less prominent treatment, Fox News Digital found.
The findings come as the Smithsonian faces heightened scrutiny from the Trump administration over how it presents American history. President Donald Trump has ordered a review of the institution’s exhibits and educational materials as part of an effort to change what his administration says is an overly negative portrayal of the country’s history.
Fox News Digital visited the Manhattan branch of the National Museum of the American Indian earlier in September and found exhibits that emphasize the destruction suffered by Native communities while offering comparatively little context about the conflicts and events surrounding American military campaigns.
One display near the center of the museum’s “Native New York” exhibit features an illustration of Washington’s profile — similar to the one that appears on quarters — over a label that reads “town destroyer.”
The description underneath the image recounts how “American armies destroyed 40 Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) towns and burned their harvests while residents fled,” noting that “the Haudenosaunee still call George Washington and all U.S. presidents Hanadahguyus. The name means ‘town destroyer.’”
The panel does not mention the raids on American settlements that led to the campaign or explain why Washington ordered the attack.
Smithsonian’s dark take on America exposed: Washington dubbed ‘town destroyer,’ Revolutionary War ‘dangerous’
