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WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL ADDRESS

WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL ADDRESS. Having decided against serving a third term as president, George Washington faced the task of bequeathing to the nation his understanding of America. In his farewell address, which initially appeared on 19 September 1796 in but one newspaper, the retiring statesman did just this. He warned Americans against political factionalism, something he had avoided through his two terms in office. In conjunction with a call for unity at home, Washington stressed his desire to preserve a nation distinct from Europe. A little over half of the address warned Americans that political division at home might lead to entanglements abroad. Evenhandedness marked this statement, as the revered general urged citizens not to express too much hatred or fondness for any one nation. Commercial enterprise, not political ties, should govern the nation's conduct with the outside world. With the address, Washington brought his presidency to a close. Power transferred peacefully to the incoming administration, and republicanism survived its first and possibly greatest test.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Spalding, Matthew, and Patrick J. Garrity. A Sacred Union of Citizens: George Washington's Farewell Address and the American Character. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 1996.

Matthew J. Flynn

See also Free Trade; Intervention; Isolationism; Jay's Treaty and vol. 9: Washington's Farewell Address.