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Washington's “Farewell Address”
In 1796, George Washington delivered his famous “Farewell Address” to conclude his
presidency. George Washington served as the first president of the United States, so his words of
wisdom are extremely significant in American politics. In his address, he announced his
resignation from the presidency after 8 years and discussed some major points and suggestions
that shaped the American government. Washington advocated for themes like national unity,
morality, preservation of the Constitution, and religion, along with many more. As the first
president of the United States, Washington’s ambitions and thoughts are highly respected and his
“Farewell Address” serves as a guide for American citizens and future leaders. American citizens
hold many different perspectives on Washington’s values, leaving room for consideration and
debate. Washington’s principles, exhortations, and themes in his address serve a unique role in
today’s contemporary government as some of his thoughts are upheld and some are not and do
not align with his vision for a unified and prosperous nation.
When George Washington resigned from his presidential role, he left some principles that
he felt were extremely important to build the nation. In his “Farewell Address,” Washington
emphasized the significance of preserving the principles of the United States Constitution.
Washington believed that the Constitution serves as the supreme law of the land and if the
country proceeded to follow it, the country would survive. Rule of law is a principle stated in the
Constitution that requires everyone, including government officials, to be subject to the law.
Washington felt that the rule of law was one of the most important principles for America at the
time, to ensure that no one had too much power and everyone was permitted the same
constitutional rights. Additionally, Washington was an avid believer that a well-educated and
virtuous population was critical for the success of the republic. Washington supported the
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promotion of education and the development of American virtues for the people. Washington
believed in the role of religion and good morality in maintaining a stable society. In his address,
he argued that moral principles and moral people are essential to success and self-governance in
America. In his “Farewell Address,” Washington announced to not run for a third term and
stressed the necessity for a peaceful transfer of power. Washington felt that regular elections for
government were essential for American democracy and peaceful transitions of future leadership
in the United States. All these items that Washington felt were essential for a successful country,
are still upheld and honored in contemporary government. These principles that Washington
outlined in his address shaped the course for a stable American government.
George Washington articulated several warnings that were important to him as he left
office, but also what he believed were crucial to running a successful country. George
Washington highly emphasized the importance of national unity and warned that political
factionalism would deteriorate a unified nation. Washington did not support the idea of political
parties and emphasized the necessity to avoid sectionalism. He viewed politics as divisive and
detrimental to a unified and strong nation (University of Virginia Press). Unfortunately,
contemporary government has not upheld this value and political parties have a long history in
American politics and elections. Contemporary America is extremely divided due to the
establishment of political parties. There is unavoidable tension surrounding many current issues
that different political parties have different opinions on which has created immense conflict in
America. Washington also warned against foreign entanglements and involvement with foreign
nations. He advocated for a neutrality policy in all foreign affairs to avoid conflict. He believed
that staying out of foreign affairs would best fit American interests and America would be better
off preserving its independence. Washington experienced war and violence during his first term
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of presidency from British and Spanish forces, which helped form his opinion on preserving
American independence (Chervinsky, 2016). The contemporary United States government is
actively involved in foreign affairs, which deliberately goes against Washington’s warning.
Currently, the United States is involved with many foreign relations regarding war, alliances,
treaties, and policies in efforts to obtain international cooperation and address global issues.
Although Washington’s warnings of national unity and foreign relations are ignored in
contemporary government, many Americans obtain differing opinions while honoring and
respecting Washington’s perspective on the American government.
Washington’s values and thoughts stated in his “Farewell Address” are honored
differently in contemporary American government. Some of his utmost important principles are
still in use today and some are ignored. Washington’s views on national unity and foreign affairs
are extremely controversial issues in current society. Political parties destroy Washington’s desire
for national unity and society’s opinion on foreign affairs changes based on different situations.
Although Washington said to avoid foreign relations, the involvement in them has helped
America in many ways. The United States has grown economically and in trade, developed
national security with other nations, access to critical resources, and more. On the other hand,
America’s involvement has resulted in tragedy and violence at times. Even the principles that are
still upheld in contemporary government, like the preservation of the Constitution, religion,
education, and peaceful power transfer still offer room for debate and further study among
Americans. Some Americans may think that Washington’s views are irrelevant now and others
may believe that Washington’s views still hold as much power as they did in the 1700s.
Ultimately, there is still room for debate and research, but Washington’s “Farewell Address”
remains a source of wisdom that shaped American government and policies for generations.
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References
Chervinsky, L. M. (2016). George Washington: Foreign Affairs | Miller Center. Miller Center.
https://millercenter.org/president/washington/foreign-affairs
University of Virginia Press. (n.d.). Founders online: Farewell address, 19 September 1796.
https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-20-02-0440-0002
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