Sentimental Values In George Washington's Farewell Address

After two years of presidency, George Washington refused a third term in 1796 and resigned from office, eager to return to his home in Virginia and farm. He did not leave office without offering advice to his successors; rather, he delivered his consultation in the form of his Farewell Address to the nation. The document was published in newspapers across the United States to be read by Americans nationwide, and it is still read in Congress annually. In his Farewell Address, George Washington encourages Americans to follow many core principles after his presidency, many of which are not in practice by Americans today. One of the values Washington espouses in his Farewell Address is the importance of sentimental values and patriotism. If the

In his address, Washington condemns the formation of political parties, claiming that all factions of this manner are destructive and that they are made of nothing but “cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men [intending to] thwart the Power of the People” and take control of the government for themselves. The first political parties were formed shortly after Washington’s departure from office, which he had very specifically warned the people of America not to do. There were the Federalists (those who favored a strong central government) and Anti-Federalists (those who opposed it). These two groups feuded over the Constitution until one simply ceased to exist. This occurred frequently as more and more political parties formed, until the views of the American people were divided rather than united. The system of political parties serves to accurately sort Americans into categories based on political views, but this often serves to wage animosity between groups, especially when one group holds more political power than the