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The National Archives Celebrates the Constitution's 225th Anniversary with Naturalization Ceremony on September 17
Press Release · Monday, August 27, 2012

Constitution 225th Anniversary 1787-2012 National Archives

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Featuring a Keynote Address from Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano

On Monday, September 17, at 10 a.m., the National Archives continues its popular tradition of holding a naturalization ceremony for petitioners seeking United States citizenship. To honor the 225th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution, 225 petitioners will be sworn in as new citizens in front of the original “Charters of Freedom” (The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights) in the Rotunda of the National Archives Building. This year’s ceremony will feature remarks from Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero and a keynote address by United States Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. Due to limited seating, the ceremony is closed to the public.

The National Archives program is presented in partnership with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The Honorable Royce Lamberth, United States District Court for the District of Columbia will preside as 225 petitioners for United States citizenship take the oath of citizenship at the National Archives. The new citizens are from 69 nations: Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, People's Republic of China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote D'Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malawi, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Republic of Serbia, Romania, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, Syria, Taiwan, Tajkistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

The Press is Invited to Cover the Ceremony. The press should use the Constitution Avenue special events entrance, at 7th Street, NW, and set up by 9:45 a.m., as the ceremony begins promptly at 10 a.m.

The Use of Flash and Additional Lights is Prohibited in the Rotunda.

Please note: due to the ceremony, the Rotunda will open to the public at 11:30 a.m. and remain open until 5:30 p.m. Regular hours of 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. resume on Tuesday, September 18.

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For press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at 202-357-5300.

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