Madeleine Albright

I actually would have liked that conversation with Thomas Jefferson. I'm not sure he could have visualized a secretary with a skirt, however.

President Jordan, Chairman Halsey, Judge Thomas, Judge Wilson, members of the court, all the trustees, members of the Thomas Jefferson Historical Foundation, thank you so very, very much for inviting me to share in this very special occasion. I am pleased that we are joined here by Judge Wilson and by more than four score prospective American citizens, your families and friends, and by so many other visitors and guests.

And I join with all of you in celebrating the 224th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As we gathered here on this historic property amidst the bunting and the flags, I'm reminded of a day of More than 50 years ago, when I first arrived in the United States, accompanied by my mother, sister, and brother, my family cherished liberty, but Czechoslovakia, our native land had been betrayed by leaders whose power stem, not from the votes of the people, but from the communists in the Kremlin.

We no longer had a home, but because of my father's job at the United Nations, we had the chance to come here to America. So like countless others, before and since, we steamed into New York Harbor and beheld the Statue of Liberty, our eyes full of tears, our hearts full of hope. I was 11, and I do remember being very excited, but also a little scared, because I didn't know whether I'd be accepted in this new land.I didn't know whether the differences in the way I spoke and acted would leave me in America, but not really a part of it. I didn't know whether after leaving my old home I could truly find another. I shouldn't have worried. At its best, America embraces. It is a, it's as vast as this continent is broad.

We were welcomed, given refuge, and provided the chance to make new friends and build new lives in freedom. For this priceless opportunity and all that has come since, I will forever be grateful. And of course it never, ever occurred to me that I would be Secretary of State and I would have Thomas Jefferson's job.

That, in a nutshell, is my story. But every immigrant and every refugee has a story. You, the new citizens we will welcome today, are of different races and ages and genders and faiths. You come from countries as large as India, and as small as Sierra Leone, from as far away as China, and as near as Canada and Mexico.

 You have traveled diverse paths from the lands of your birth. to the lawns of Monticello. And you are known by names that vary in sound from Liju and Darius Tolchik to Mahmoud Kashani and Carlos Ignacio Valdez. The miracle is that before this ceremony is over, each of your names will belong to an American.

And so this morning we welcome you with warmth and expectation. For today marks a new beginning in your lives. And an opportunity for you to add your own chapters to the saga of America, which is above all, above all else, a land of immigrants. Decade after decade, the United States has been enriched by the steady flow of mind and muscle, culture, and creativity that America's promise has attracted to our shores.

And today, we see the contributions of immigrants everywhere in the vitality of our neighborhoods, the health of our economy, the strength of our democracy, and the enduring miracle of unity. There are some who resent all this and think that the day after they entered is the day the door to America should have swung shut.

Let us pray that day never comes for our nation needs the continued refreshment of new sources of energy and strength. As new citizens, you accept a solemn duty to participate in our democracy. This matters because whether America thrives or fades, prospers or fails, leads or falls behind, depends entirely upon the vitality and responsibility of our citizens.

This is true not only at home, but also in our relations overseas. For the world is far smaller now than in Jefferson's day, and after two global wars, the Holocaust and multiple genocides in the last century, we have learned that problems abroad, if left unattended, will all too often come home to America.

If our country is to be secure and prosperous in this new century, we must be more than the consumers of liberty. We must be the champions and vindicators of it. We must join with others who believe in what Thomas Jefferson called the sacred fire of freedom, and ensure that the democratic tide remains a rising tide around the world.

The mind that conceived Monticello's original design Also helped to conceive an approach to government that had never truly been tried before. It was based on a conception of the individual, not as a mere subject to the throne, but as a citizen with responsibilities and rights and tracing all the powers of government back to the will and consent of the people.

These basic principles fueled a revolution and launched America on its journey from wilderness to greatness. with important milestones of slavery's abolition and the full enfranchisement of women and minorities along the way. They also ignited a torch of liberty that has inspired hundreds of millions overseas in their own struggles for liberty and allowed us to enter the new century as part of a world more free than it has ever been.

It is said, there is nothing that time does not conquer. But the principles we celebrate on the 4th of July here at Monticello have neither withered nor worn through depression and war, controversy and conflict. They have continued to unite and uplift us and to define our nation and its purpose to the world.

From the era of Thomas Jefferson to the time of William Jefferson Clinton, The story of the United States is the story of a unique and free society, emerging from isolation to assume a leading role on the world stage. It is the story of a nation first learning, then accepting, and then acting on its responsibilities.

Above all, It is the story of people who came here from countries around the world and who stayed and answered the call of this extraordinary land and who have given their lives and labor in service to its cause. In a few minutes, the United States will welcome new citizens who will add to its diversity and strength.

That is a fitting present to our nation on her birthday. and ample grounds for celebration for us all. Thank you all so very much for letting me be a part of this and for having the opportunity to represent the greatest country in the world. Thank you.