George Washington's Farewell Address

620 Words3 Pages

George Washington was the first president of the United States. He was born on February 22, 1732 and was chosen to be America’s first president in 1789. Washington served two terms as president. By the end of his second term, he was ready to retire; he could not serve another term as president. Before leaving office, he gave a farewell address which offered many pearls of wisdom which americans can learn from today. Based on Washington’s experiences as president, he warned us to stay united, follow the Constitution, and stay neutral in order to have a successful country. George Washington stated unity of government is important. To maintain real independence people must have unity amongst each other. He goes on to say that different ideas and opinions can separate you from others. As a nation we need to compromise and get through those differences. Americans should cherish our friendly and nonstop relationship with other states. Washington exclaims “...a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned;and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our …show more content…

If we try to live outside of the Constitution, our actions will cause tyranny. People are power hungry which comes from our human nature, but our nation needs to turn away from that addiction in order to make our country marvelous. Checks and balances are also very important to run our lush country. If by any chance the Constitution needs to be altered, it must be done legally. Washington proclaims, “But let there be no change by usurpation, for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good…” If the Constitution is in need of change from a rebellion, the Constitution will not be changed; it is a document used for the good of all citizens. The Constitution is like a weapon that could be used to defend