Wednesday, April 30, 1947
In keeping with Mount Vernon’s long tradition of welcoming heads of state, Mexican president Miguel Alemán paid a visit to the estate on April 30, 1947, accompanied by then-Secretary of State George C. Marshall.
President Harry S. Truman had paid a similar visit to Mexico just a month earlier, seeking to improve relations between the two nations. Mexicans, still smarting from the loss of territory to the United States during the 19th century, resented subsequent American interventions in their own government’s affairs. The “Good Neighbor Policy” put forth by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the 1930s had been largely well received, but was deeply associated with Roosevelt himself and not with the United States government. These state visits sought to remedy that perception and solidify relations between the nations as the Cold War loomed.
In addition to the official business conducted during this trip, Alemán visited Mount Vernon and other important landmarks, including Arlington National Cemetery, and joined President Truman in a parade that attracted hundreds of thousands of spectators.
