“Marks of Friendship” Exhibition

“I present to you the sincere acknowledgments and thanks of the United States for the important mark of your friendship …”
—President George Washington’s letter to the Sultan of Morocco, December 1, 1789

Before the Constitution was adopted, America’s early leaders, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington, understood that the United States needed friends and trading partners overseas to survive and prosper. And so, they began building international friendships. The creation of the U.S. Department of State on July 21, 1789, reflects the young nation’s recognition of the importance of establishing these partnerships. The exchange of ideas, trade, culture, and gifts marks the United States’ friendships abroad and diplomacy over 250 years. The gifts received by America from its earliest days trace the history of the nation’s engagement with the world.

America’s diplomatic buildings abroad—embassies, consulates, and official residences —serve as the daily backdrop for the formal and informal meetings, negotiations, and work of America’s diplomatic representatives. Historic properties, in particular, contain antique furnishings, ceramics, paintings, textiles, and other objects, many of them gifts, which are America’s diplomatic treasures.

This exhibition highlights select objects and furnishings from America’s diplomatic heritage properties in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Discover their stories and explore their distinctive role in setting the diplomatic stage to strengthen U.S. relationships abroad. They symbolize the strength of our commitment to building peace and prosperity among nations. They are marks of friendship.