US Army Deletes Lesson Plans Focusing on African American History, the Civil War and Women's History at Arlington National Cemetery

(Section 27 of Arlington National Cemetery)

There is no better place to learn about the rich and diverse history of the United States than Arlington National Cemetery. Stepping on the grounds of Arlington offers a powerful reminder of the service and sacrifice of Americans from all walks of life, who answered this nation’s call and often paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Visitors confront the rich history of our nation, through its diversity, in every corner of the cemetery, from the Black Civil War soldiers buried in the segregated section of Section 27 to the women, Native Americans, and other newly-arrived immigrants who served honorably in later wars.

The grounds also offer an opportunity to study a much broader history. Arlington House was built as a plantation home by George Washington Parke Custis, where hundreds of enslaved people toiled. After the Civil War—at the same time the National Cemetery was expanding—it was the home of formerly enslaved people, who exercised their rights as freedmen for the first time in what was called Freedman’s Village.

Freedman’s Village (Source: National Archives)

Before continuing, I want to make it clear that I am not talking about the National Park Service, which operates and interprets the grounds within and surrounding what is still referred to officially as Arlington House: The Robert E. Lee Memorial, located at the top of the hill. In recent years, the NPS staff there has done a phenomenal job of interpreting the history of slavery and the enslaved families, who made Arlington their home, through a generous donation by David Rubenstein. We can only hope that the important work that they do will be allowed to continue.

Unfortunately, the US Army has fallen victim to the wave of executive orders, signed by President Trump, directing federal agencies and departments to remove or edit web pages that supposedly violate what are at best vaguely-defined anti-DEI guidelines.

The historians and educational staff working for the US Army at Arlington National Cemetery have done an excellent job of expanding their interpretation of the grounds and especially in developing lesson plans for teachers that were housed on its website. I have seen first hand the good work that they do with teachers and I know for a fact that teachers across the country have used these lesson plans.

(Archived page from the US Army’s website)

As of the publication of this post, web pages focusing on African American history, Women’s history, Reconstruction, and the Civil War have been removed from the educational page of Arlington’s website. Fortunately, some of these pages can still be accessed with the Wayback Machine. Take a minute to scroll down to see just what has been deleted.

I have to assume that the staff at the cemetery will no longer be permitted to work with teachers and students to help them better understand these subjects. So much good work has been lost, more than likely deleted by someone with no understanding or interest in American history.

With all the news related to the Trump administration’s war on history, this one hits the hardest because of my experience working with teachers on site and with the incredibly talented staff at Arlington National Cemetery.

My thoughts are with the US Army’s historians and educational staff, the teachers who will be denied these resources, and especially with students from all backgrounds, who stood a chance of making a connection with a history that we can all embrace and unite around.

It’s a sad day when our own military is forced to turn its back on sharing the stories of the brave men and women, who have served this country with honor.

This insanity must stop.