George Washington's Farewell Address

The “Farewell Address” sealed Washington’s legacy and enshrined his reputation as the ideal citizen of a republic, who serves the public good in a time of need and then returns to private life without seeking personal glory or profit. Washington had already given up his command of the Continental Army at the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783, helping to ensure a new government’s emergence through elections rather than force. His voluntary stepping down from the presidency after two terms set a precedent that would remain sacrosanct until Franklin D. Roosevelt sought and won a third and then fourth term. The Constitution would later formalize the two-term limit during the presidency of FDR’s successor Harry Truman.

Washington’s sterling reputation has extended to the “Farewell Address” itself, which is one of the most revered presidential statements in US history. It is frequently upheld as a timeless guide to the proper conduct of government. Its section on foreign policy, advising “as little political connection as possible” with other nations (Paragraph 34), has been quoted most frequently and was a refrain for those who opposed greater US involvement in European affairs between the two world wars. Its warning against “permanent alliances” remains relevant for those skeptical of America’s longstanding ties with countries such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea, among many others.