Washington’s Farewell Address 1.) Sectionalism (undue concern with local interest or petty distinctions at the expense of the general welfare) posed a great threat to the unity of the nation according to George Washington. When introducing this topic, he states that, “one of the expedients of party to acquire influence within particular districts is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts,” implying that if a person only focuses on what they can see and what directly effects them in their little town, then people may be able to use that as a tool to gain more power. Leaders will have the ability to say whatever they want about the surrounding towns, and their people will never know the difference. It is very important that people stay aware of what is going on not only in their immediate area but also they must be aware of what is going on, on a much broader scale. Lest the general welfare be left behind for fixing individual discomforts 2.) …show more content…
When Washington exerted, “without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it,” he was making a bold statement that to prevent the union from falling apart, we must prevent it from becoming divided. That seems simple enough, but our country has done the exact opposite of what George Washington is talking about. We have split into two parties and are now unable to make any decisions on anything. There is no more compromising, merely an “I’m right and you’re wrong”