Running head: WASHINGTON FAREWELL ADDRESS 1

WASHINGTON FAREWELL ADDRESS

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Washington Farewell Address

Washington’s Farewell Address was written as he neared the end of his second term. The

president was suffering from ill health while also facing increasing attacks from opponents of his

policies. As such, he decided that he will not run for office for the third time. As such, he came

up with a farewell address that he first drafted with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.

The document reiterated the importance of the American people remaining united. He also

warned them of the dangers of political factions as well as the influence of foreign powers

(McClellan, 2000).

George Washington’s address urged the American people not to succumb to the regional

and sectional divisions that permeated the nation at the time. It was imperative that the people

adhere to the interests of the nation as a whole. Indeed, at the time, the nation had clear divisions

based on regions such as the North, South, East, and West. He reminded them that they fought

and triumphed together. He noted that the worst enemy of the Government was the people’s

loyalty to their respective political parties (Washington, 1796). He was worried that this trend

would result in factionalism since, at the time, people voted based on their loyalties to the

political parties. Such an environment, Washington feared, would result in the emergence of

unprincipled, ambitious, and cunning men who would not put the interests of the nation first

(Washington, 1796). In the same way that regionalism would result in the malicious use of

political parties, Washington also feared that partisanship would open the door to foreign

influence and corruption. It should be noted that the president was not averse to international

cooperation especially when it came to commercial endeavors. However, Washington realized

that an unhealthy attachment to specific nations while alienating others would ultimately be

unhealthy for the nation’s long-term future (McClellan, 2000).

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Washington’s Farewell Address is still an authoritative document that continues to shape

America’s domestic and foreign policy. It can be said that the message was widely accepted and

has been used as a rallying call by former presidents to unite the American people. For example,

it helped in the eventual abolishment of slavery even though the process took longer than

expected (McClellan, 2000). However, recent events in American history have come to prove

Washington right based on the warnings he issued in his farewell address. The events of 2020

election and the January 6 attack exposed the deep divisions inherent in the American society

(Davis, 2021). Currently, the political atmosphere is punctuated by a fervent loyalty to political

parties and factionalism. The Republican-Democrat party divide has not helped to eliminate

various aspects of discrimination in the society. Washington advocated for democratic

governments to be held accountable for their actions. However, he did not support the use of

violence as a means of attaining this goal. Unfortunately, this is what transpired in the end.

The attack on Capitol Hill on January 6 was a prophetic culmination of Washington’s

words that warned of the factionalism spearheaded by a cunning minority with concealed vested

interests. Indeed, President Biden noted that the Capital attackers did not act based on principle

or patriotism but on rage (Davis, 2021). As such, their actions cannot be alluded to be in the

service of the American nation. American partisanship and factionalism seem to be

systematically entrenched in its politics at the moment. For example, political strategies like

Gerrymandering routinely act to alienate minority groups from voting and having their voices

heard which flies in the face of a functional democracy (Davis, 2021). These strategies are solely

designed to help political parties with their respective agendas especially in regions where they

happen to have a significant influence on the population. Indeed, there is a long way to go before

Washington’s Farewell address is fully adhered to both in spirit and in the law.
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References

Davis, J. (2021). George Washington Still Leads the Way. Standing for Freedom Center.

McClellan, J. (2000). Libery, Order and Justice: An Introduction to the Constitutional Principles

of American Government.

Washington, G. (1796). Farewell address. September, 19(1796), 1931-1944.