Washington's Farewell Address

Washington’s Farewell Address

Washington’s Farewell Address, 1796

On April 30, 1789 George Washington was sworn in as the first president of the United States of America. He served two terms before resigning his presidency. On September 19, 1796, Washington published his famous “Farewell Address” in a Philadelphian newspaper. The address was partly crafted by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton and ultimately edited by Washington before publication. Washington’s farewell address was set as an open letter to the nation and warned the American people about their long-term prosperity, safety, and happiness. The address gave warnings about several dangers facing the young nation. The address covered topics from internal factions to foreign influences.

The first topic addressed in the farewell speech advises the counties peace, domestic tranquility, independence, liberty, and prosperity are dependent upon the continuing unification of the states. Because the states were individual entities tied together through a contract, the Constitution, it was imperative that the nation resist those temptations that would lead to an attempt or notion that states secede. Washington tells us that at some point we will come under attack from foreign and domestic influences and should resist these influences by placing ourselves above our positions in a particular state, city, or region; but should combat these influences as one nation, unified. He also warns us against an oversized military. Washington sees this as a threat to the security of the Republic.

The second topic addressed dealt with the preservation of the union. The general theme of the Farewell Address is the preservation of the Union as the core of American nationhood. Washington warned against sectionalism as the destroyer of the common interest and national character. The ties of the Union and the Constitution that made the various parts one must be cherished as sacred (The Heritage Foundation, 2015). Washington...