After his second term, George Washington formally resigned from his role as President of the United Sates. Washington took advantage of his resignation by preaching his political views of how our country should be run. He wrote what is called the Farewell Address as his final statement, or warning, to the American people. Washington’s public adieu embodied his fundamental values and what he believed was the right path for the US. However, Washington was not the sole author of this letter to America. When Washington was considering retirement in 1792, James Madison wrote a set of notes to help him prepare for a valedictory speech; before Washington decided to continue his presidency. Then, in 1796, he used these notes to compile a draft of his farewell address; which was later sent to Alexander Hamilton and John Jay for revision and criticism.
Through this collaborative effort, Washington’s Farewell Address developed into a mix of beliefs from the nation’s leading nationalists. It is the core ideas of the most influential and prominent political figures in our history. These men lived in the period of time when our free states were just colonies, our people were not unified, and when we eventually gained our independence. They built our land from the ground up and continuously fought for the rights of the American people. Seeing our country flourish was their dream, so it was important to them that their future generations maintained and progressed their important values. Unfortunately, we did not heed their warnings and we have suffered because of it. In Washington’s Farewell Address, he cautions the American people to be civil towards one another, steer clear of political parties, and avoid relations with foreign countries. Still, they did not listen.
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One of the very first points made by George Washington was that our Country needs to remain united. He claims that the only reason we currently have liberty and freedom is because we are all working together. Every region of the country must contribute to its needs individually and preserve the union as equals. Washington warns not to let the differences between the North and the South lead to division, but let our differences make us stronger. These two portions of our country benefit off of each other; the North gets crops from southern states and the South obtains machinery and other industrial tools from the North. Despite Washington’s forewarning, a civil war broke out in 1861 over the enslavement of black people and didn’t end until 1865. During this time period, the southern states of America attempted to secede from the nation and become their own country, a notion that Washington specifically frowned upon in his Farewell Address. He refers to a recent dispute involving western farmers and their right to ship goods along the Mississippi river in which two treaties, Jay’s treaty and Pickney’s Treaty, were established. He uses this disagreement as an example that the federal government is looking after the American people and to emphasize the underhand motives of sectionalists. Washington presents the idea that anyone who attempts or strives to divide the American states is not to be trusted. If the northern and southern states had worked together instead of dividing and listening to sectionalist ideology, a civil war could have been preventable. Alas, separation between regions was not Washington’s only caution that involved disunion within the country.
In his Farewell Address, George Washington also discusses the many problems concerning political parties. Political parties began forming around 1787; now the United States has two major parties, the democrats and republicans, and about two dozen third parties. George Washington feared that political parties were unhealthy for our nation and would open the doors to other countries attempting to infiltrate our systems. The jealousy and demand for power invites corruption and further divides not only our government system, but the citizens of the country as well. Political parties prioritize themselves instead of the American people meaning that their primary concern is having control. However, they should be focused on the prosperity of the country and keeping the same principles that lead our nation to its freedom. Political parties put a group in front of the individual which deprives people of their own opinions. Their ideas are generalized and changed to fit one specific party; so, the people are never truly getting what they want because their thoughts aren’t being directly displayed. Washington acknowledges the idea that political parties can provide a checks and balance system to ensure that power isn’t concentrated into one group. However, he neglects this statement by mentioning the natural evil of political parties. While they might have some benefit, the cons will always outweigh the pros. This statement also rings true when dealing with relationships and alliances with foreign countries.
One of Washington’s major arguments in his address is the strong interest in remaining neutral and keeping involvement in foreign affairs minimal. He expresses that peace with others is common sense and a basic human decency. Following this good policy sets ourselves as an example of an enlightened nation and can only benefit us. Permanent rivalries and passionate alliances are our greatest threats. Rivalries have created disputes and wars with lingering effects. For example, The Cold War resulted in a nuclear standoff between the US and Soviet Union known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. This threat caused many problems for the US and Cuba including an embargo on Cuba that was established in 1958, effecting the economy and accounting for billions in losses for both parties. Alliances are also a major issue for the Americas. Washington discusses how sympathy towards another country can cause a lot of damage to our own. Alliances make us feel obligated to help others in situations we don’t want to be in and can bring more enemies than friends. Also, aiding one country and withholding help from another can be very corrupt and cause resentment from the other country. This is why Washington warns us to remain neutral and not meddle in foreign affairs. If we stay low key, we create less problems for ourselves and we can prosper without worrying about the issues in other nations.
George Washington’s Farewell Address was a combination of his core beliefs and desire to see the United States grow and prosper. He is straightforward in his decision to end his term as president but his patriotism still resonates throughout the rest of his letter. While he may have seemed cold or bitter, Washington’s words had substance and urgency. He fought for his country for his whole life and does not want to see it fail or turn into something he tried so hard to avoid. As the first president of the United Sates, Washington had a duty to warn the citizens of the evils he had witnessed and how to prevent them in the future. Washington encourages the American people to avoid division of the country geographically or politically and to keep relationships with foreign nations minimal. As years passed, people neglected Washington’s words and disobeyed all of his formalities. The dishonorable behavior continues today and we will soon regret not heeding the warnings of George Washington’s farewell address.
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