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Warnings In George Washington's Farewell Address

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George Washington (1732-1799), a surveyor, Commander of the Continental Army who fought in the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783), President of the Philadelphia Convention (1787) and two term Commander-in-Chief of the newly formed government and country (1789-1799). George Washington was not interested in serving a second term as President. He wanted to retire from political life to a more quiet life at Mount Vernon. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, two men at odds with each other and members of his cabinet, persuaded Washington to serve a second term claiming the North and South would hold on if he served as President. He ruled the country without an affiliation to any party. Years prior to his second term, Washington wrote his farewell address asking James Madison to write a …show more content…

(Bomboy 2015). On December 14, 1799 George Washington died at the age of 67 leaving behind a legacy of strength, integrity and national purpose. This essay will discuss the warnings in Washington’s farewell address and contemporary government’s disregard to those warnings. Party Factions Washington addressed the issue of protecting the Union as it is fundamental to the nationality of America. He warned against sectionalism as he feared it would destroy common interest and national character. He believed that sectionalism would develop between the colonies the presence of emerging interests among each colony rather than the country as a whole. He felt that sectionalism would divide the country because what is sacred is the relationship between the Union and the Constitution. “The name of American, which belong to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations.” (Heritage Foundation 2016). He warned the American people of party factions. Washington felt that the then Federalists and Republican or Democrat-Republican Parties were more harmful to the people and the country.

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The precedents that Washington set were the greatest of all, but the best examples he mentioned were critical to America. Washington was the first president of the United States. He had served two terms, and warned future presidents not to run for a third term. He believed it would make citizens believe that the government is in power; but truly, the states and people are in control. Based on George Washington’s observations, he warned the people to stay united, stay neutral, and follow the constitution, in order to keep the U.S. stable.

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In his farewell address, Washington warned the country about the damage that will be caused by political parties. Adams gave no concern to this warning, since he was a founder of a political party, the Federalists. With the Alien and Sedition Acts, Adams was able to give even more power to the Federalists. These acts handed almost all the power and control in the government to the Federalists. This is one of the reasons

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There were 2 different political parties back then; the Federalist and Democratic/Republican. Washington warned that the 2 parties would divide the nation. He was scared that such a difference between the groups would weaken the county. Many politicians had different thoughts on what should happened and that affected Washington's decision on what show happen and when. How to interpret the constitution was another problem for the formation of political parties and also for Washington.

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(LaFeber, 24) After the revolution, a reliance on British trade threatened to compromise American independence yet again “Because the United States depended on British trade, Sheffield argued, London could demand tough terms. It especially could do so because under the Articles of Confederation, the thirteen states were too weak and decentralized to fight back with a united policy.” (LaFeber, 28) Because the states were not sufficiently unified, the British played the states off one another In fact, the motivation for the writing of the constitution was in large part to unify the states in order to manage trade relations with brutal foreign powers like Britain and

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Even to this day, Washington’s farewell address is still one of the most celebrated speeches in American history. Washington’s farewell address warned the country against “the baneful effects of the Spirit of Party.” Washington greatly encouraged the country to focus on education and morality, and cautioned the country against sectionalism within the nation, and warned about foreign alliances. This speech is still greatly remembered and referenced because George Washington nearly predicted the future of the country in his speech, however, it is apparently obvious that the nation ignored Washington’s warnings. Washington’s presidency lasted from April 30, 1789, to March 4, 1797.

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So because of that, Washington decided to step down from his Presidential spot, and retired when his term was finally over. Yet, lots of his friends told him to not step down, he was determined to step down from his presidency. Washington then wrote a farewell address to the American people, with the help of Hamilton. Washington never delivered the speech, but he published it in a Philadelphia newspaper

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Washington’s Farwell Address vs. Continuity and Change in the U.S George Washington is one of the many important faces in the American Revolution. He was known for his military prowess as commander of the Continental Army and work with the continental congress. Washington was elected as the first president of the United States in the year of 1789. Washington governed for two terms, but decided to refrain from a third year in 1797. Before his resignation, Washington with the help of Alexander Hamilton drafted the Farwell Address.

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With some Americans refusing to stay open minded to the beliefs of the opposite political party, our country will get nowhere. As one of our country’s Founding Fathers, Washington would not approve of this, and demand the next president change this. If George Washington was still alive today, he would be able to give the next president advice to transform our country. Someone with the unbiased mindset toward the two main political parties would be a much needed perspective for the next president.

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George Washington, being the first president, felt that in order to maintain structure in the government after he was no longer in charge, had to leave a letter to his country’s citizens. Washington began his address by giving thanks and appreciation to everyone for giving him the opportunity to lead their country and explaining his reasoning for declining another term. Along with these reasons, he pointed out some of the flaws of his presidency, admitting to the public that he was not a perfect American leader and that he is not a stencil into which all other presidents should be carved out of. While he stated that he was not impeccable, Washington did continue on in his address to offer some advice to the future of America. Washington

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George Washington wanted the best for his country, so he created a Farewell Address before the end of his presidency. This farewell address was written to give advice for the next generations to follow to make sure America continues to be a strong country. George Washington had experience and went through many situations and he did not want the future generations to follow his mistakes and take his advice. He did not want us to fall into the same situations he did and his advice was valid because he has so much experience. One thing that he has experience with is foreign affairs.

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George Washington and Barack Obama had different views about how America would be like. On April 30, 1789 George Washington gave his inaugural speech and oathed to be the first president of the united states. On January 30, 2009 Barack Obama gave his inaugural speech. During George Washington speech senator William Maclay of pennsylvania remarked that George Washington looked agitated and embarrassed. During Obama's speech he looked confident and he acknowledge the crowd very well.

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Washington knew a strong Constitution had to be in place, which is why he was responsible for the Constitutional Convention. The effects of his inaugural address and presidency really mattered, given he was the first of our many presidents. George Washington proved he truly cared for the American people and the country. He took charge and changed what had to be done, because his speech altered the government and society as we know it today; our Constitution, our executive and judicial branches, and our Supreme Court. While he did emphasize the need for a Constitution, he was not the only one responsible for it’s making.

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