Naturalization Ceremony Welcoming Citizens from 50 Countries, Revolutionary War Reenactments, Daytime Fireworks, Hot Air Balloon Demonstrations, and Historic Traditions Highlight Independence Day
MOUNT VERNON, VA, July 4, 2026 — George Washington’s Mount Vernon today welcomed America’s newest citizens during a moving Independence Day naturalization ceremony, as immigrants representing 50 countries took the Oath of Allegiance at the home of the nation’s first president during the nation’s first Fourth of July celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.
Held on Mount Vernon’s historic Bowling Green overlooking the Potomac River, the ceremony marked the moment that immigrants from around the world became American citizens at the very place where George Washington helped forge a nation founded on liberty, self-government, and civic responsibility. As Americans commemorate the Semiquincentennial, the ceremony served as a powerful reminder that the ideals of the American Revolution continue to inspire people around the world and are renewed by each generation of citizens.
Broadcast-quality video and high-resolution photos from today’s events are available here, attributable to the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association.
“This country is not united by geography, race, religion, or ethnicity,” said Anne Neal Petri, Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. “Our shared identity is rooted in the principles of human equality and liberty set forth in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Today, we especially honor George Washington for recognizing that the strength of our country depends on informed and engaged citizens—and today, that means all of our newest Americans.”
Petri encouraged the new citizens to embrace the responsibilities of citizenship, reminding them that America’s founding remains “an experiment in human freedom” that depends on every generation helping to renew, strengthen, and protect the nation’s founding ideals.
Addressing the newly naturalized Americans, Douglas Bradburn, President and CEO of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, reflected on the significance of becoming Americans at George Washington’s home during the nation’s Semiquincentennial.
“We preserve history here at Mount Vernon, but today you’ve made history,” Bradburn said. “Your stories of sacrifice, resilience, talent, and determination now become American stories. And our history—George Washington’s history—is now your history. America is ours. Let’s make the best of it together.”
The ceremony concluded with a special welcome from George Washington, who greeted the new citizens with words drawn from his vision for America.
“Today, the name of American belongs to you every bit as much as it does to me… You have brought with you your skills and talents, your strength and determination, your culture and your traditions. I hope that you have also brought your dreams, because this is a land where they can happen… My fellow Americans, to you I say simply, welcome home.”
The naturalization ceremony was among the signature moments of Mount Vernon’s annual An American Celebration, which welcomed thousands of visitors for a full day of patriotic programming. Guests enjoyed Revolutionary War military drills and encampments, dramatic readings of the Declaration of Independence, made-for-daytime fireworks over the Potomac River, hot air balloon demonstrations, patriotic music, living history interpreters portraying George Washington and people from his world, hands-on family activities, and opportunities to explore the newly opened George Washington: A Revolutionary Life exhibition in Mount Vernon’s new Education Center.
Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the oldest national historic preservation organization in the United States. The estate is open to visitors and includes the Mansion, museum and education center, gardens, tombs, a working farm, a functioning distillery, and a gristmill, as well as the George Washington Presidential Library at Mount Vernon. Learn more at www.mountvernon.org.