General George Washington's Farewell Address Analysis

The artist John Trumbal, under his 1817 commission from the U.S. Congress, completed the work, General George Washington Resigning His Commission, in 1824. It was hung in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in 1826. The historical context portrays Washington as a royal prominent figure. Both his family and colleagues are pictured. In 1817, John Quincy Adams was named Secretary of State under James Monroe, Adams crafted the Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819, resulting in Spain’s cessation of Florida to the United States. In addition, it re-defined the gulf Coast regional borders. In 1821, the Russian czar Alexander I, decreed that all the area north of the fifty-first parallel and extending one hundred miles into the Pacific inaccessible to non-Russians. In opposition, President James Monroe and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams proclaimed America’s independence from newly formed European establishments. In 1823, Adams and Monroe crafted the Monroe Doctrine defined America’s stance against foreign involvement in political affairs.

General George Washington’s farewell address conveyed a staunch warning against America’s engagement in foreign alliances and conflicts transpiring among other nations. He emphasized the point that engagements in business relationships must have equal advantages for both parties and without any political contingencies. The Monroe Doctrine warned European nations against interfering in the political issues of Central and South America. Both clearly expressed America’s opposition to further colonization by European interests. If the modern viewer were privy to the historical context surrounding the General Washington’s Farewell Address and the period in which the painting was crafted, the artist’s message and contextual influences would be