George Washington's Farewell Address

Washington's Farewell Address^[1] is a letter written by President George Washington as a valedictory to "friends and fellow-citizens" after 20 years of public service to the United States.^[2] He wrote it near the end of the second term of his presidency before retiring to his home at Mount Vernon in Virginia.

The letter was first published as The Address of Gen. Washington to the People of America on His Declining the Presidency of the United States in Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1796, about ten weeks before the presidential electors cast their votes in the 1796 election. In it, he writes about the importance of national unity while warning Americans of the political dangers of regionalism, partisanship, and foreign influence, which they must avoid to remain true to their values.^[3] It was almost immediately reprinted in newspapers around the country, and later in pamphlet form.^[4]

The first draft was originally prepared by James Madison in June 1792, as Washington contemplated retiring at the end of his first term in office.^[5] However, he set it aside and ran for a second term because of heated disputes between Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson which convinced Washington that the growing tensions would rip apart the country without his leadership. This included the state of foreign affairs, and divisions between the newly formed Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties.^[6]

As his second term came to a close four years later, Washington prepared a revision of the original letter with the help of Hamilton to write a new farewell address to announce his intention to decline a third term in office. He reflects on the emerging issues of the American political landscape in 1796, expresses his support for the government eight years after the adoption of the Constitution, defends his administration's record, and gives valedictory advice to the American people. The letter also attempted to reunite the country, which had partly turned against Washington following the controversial 1794 Jay Treaty.^[7][8][9]