“I present to you the sincere acknowledgements 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
From the earliest days of the American experiment, the nation’s Founders understood a fundamental truth: for the young United States to survive and prosper, it needed friendships across the seas. When President George Washington penned his historic letter to the Sultan of Morocco, he set a precedent for American diplomacy. Soon after, on July 21, 1789, the U.S. Department of State was born—cementing international partnership as a pillar of the American story. For over two and a half centuries, the exchange of ideas, culture, commerce, and gifts has defined the spirit of American diplomacy.
Inspired by Washington’s vision, the Fund to Conserve U.S. Diplomatic Treasures Abroad collaborated with its public sector partner, the Office of Cultural Heritage (part of the State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations) to create a landmark exhibition. Marks of Friendship: 250 Years of U.S. Diplomatic Treasures premiered in January 2026 at the prestigious Washington Winter Show, followed by an exclusive internal viewing at the Department of State.
Then, history returned to its birthplace. On July 1, 2026—just three days before the nation’s Semiquincentennial—the exhibition made its public debut in Philadelphia at the newly restored First Bank of the United States. This historic venue offered a breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visitors to discover America’s global story inside a landmark building that had been closed to the public since the 1970s.
An enthusiastic crowd of over 200 gathered to celebrate, greeted by an extraordinary sight: “Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington” kicking off the program with a rousing, in-character debate over the nation’s first central bank. Distinguished public officials followed, with remarks from U.S. State Department Under Secretary for Management Jason Evans, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Assistant Secretary of the Interior Kevin J. Lilly, Independence National Historical Park Superintendent Steven Sims, and Independence Historical Trust Board Chair Bill Marrazzo.
Following the ribbon-cutting, eager guests flooded the newly rehabilitated space. Visitors loved immersing themselves in history, posing for selfies at the interactive Marks of Friendship “Diplomat Desk”—complete with a vintage typewriter and rotary phone. The response was staggering: over 9,000 patriotic visitors streamed through the doors in the first five days alone, culminating in 15,498 visitors for the month of July.
Marks of Friendship remains on view at the First Bank of the United States through February 15, 2027. [Click here for hours and exhibition information.]
Enjoy photographs of the July 1 Ribbon Cutting and Opening here.