George Washington's Farewell Address

George Washington's Farewell Address is a letter written by first President of the United States George Washington to "The People of the United States of America".

Washington wrote the letter near the end of his second term as President, before his retirement to his home in Mount Vernon. It was originally published in David C. Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1796 under the title "The Address of General Washington To The People of The United States on his declining of the Presidency of the United States," and it was almost immediately reprinted in newspapers across the country and later in a pamphlet form. The work was later named a "Farewell Address," as it was Washington's valedictory after 20 years of service to the new nation. It is a classic statement of republicanism, warning Americans of the political dangers which they must avoid if they are to remain true to their values.

The first draft was originally prepared in 1792 with the assistance of James Madison, as Washington prepared to retire following a single term in office. However, he set aside the letter and ran for a second term after the disputes between his Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and his Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, which convinced him that growing divisions would rip apart the country without his leadership—divisions between the newly formed Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties, along with the current state of foreign affairs.

As his second term came to a close four years later, Washington prepared a revision of the original letter with the help of Alexander Hamilton to announce his intention to decline a third term in office. He also 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.

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