The Founding Father of the United States, George Washington, used his military experience and political knowledge to help establish the Constitution and spread its rule to the thirteen states. As a military leader popular with the American public and respected among his aristocratic peers, Washington was unanimously elected president. George Washington's two terms as president set many precedents for other American leaders to follow including the establishment of a presidential cabinet system, the amended clause "So help me God" when swearing the oath of office, and the retirement from political service after leading the federal executive branch. One of the last cornerstones of his presidency was his Farewell Address in which he stated his wishes for the country, warned of dangers foreseen, and advised on potential calamities from certain courses of action. Since Washington, other presidential resignation speeches have become famous, especially Dwight D Eisenhower's 1960 speech regarding the dangers of the military-industrial complex.
George Washington's 1797 Farewell Address encompasses a vast array of topics that the fledgling nation faced or would face in the future, but several points have become hallmarks to Washington's wisdom and foresight. At the time of Washington's writing, the United States was a decade old, militarily weak, and almost entirely reliant on British trade while favoring the political support of France. Referencing his career in the military both in the Seven Years War (The French and Indian War; 1756-1763) and the American Revolution, Washington had observed the unintended effects of European alliances and the social costs of war: death, taxes, and political tension.
With this lifetime of military and political experience in perspective, Washington stated in his Farewell Address cautions against forming peacetime alliances with European nations since that would draw limited American resources into repetitious conflicts across the seas. Although unheeded, Washington's second great caution was to avoid political bipartisanship since a dual-party political system would unnecessarily divide the brilliance of America's leaders into oppositional camps. A last great caution was that America should keep its leaders to the highest moral requirements because moral resilience gave American society its strength (Tocqueville, 1835).
Emphasized throughout the letter is the preservation of the new national unity. As portrayed by the first American political cartoon by Benjamin Franklin in the Seven Years War "Join or Die." The threat of separation by selfish states' interests alarmed the Founding Fathers from the earliest years and remained one of the largest obstacles to unity even past the American Civil War.
George Washington has had the respect of his American brethren for two and a half centuries. His words have dictated foreign policy for generations, stilled momentary passions, and created an introspective narrative to America's history and actions. His passion for his homeland stirred him to oust British Imperial rule, set precedent for peaceful power transitions, and caution his beloved nation of dangers. Establishing insight for American conduct in both domestic and international affairs, Washington sought to rely on the "Common Sense" of the American people to elect leaders that would seek fair treatment of its citizens and impartial, commercial relations with other nations around the world.
Reflections on pivotal political decisions in American history since the writing of the Washington's Farewell Address reveal the respect for the Founding Fathers the people and leaders of America have engendered. Those cautions created a strong influence on foreign and domestic policies throughout the past two centuries. America avoided European wars in the nineteenth century and only made its first peacetime alliance with the formation of NATO after World War II. While the moral core has remained intact, the fickle will of the people has caused changes to the republic established by the Founding Fathers. Though strained by the Civil War, the Progressive Movement, and Social Services, the republic endures. The only major piece of caution wholly rejected by America is the formation of a two party system which established itself immediately after Washington and continues to basally affect the governance of the country today. Though fundamental for the birth, development, and rise of a twentieth century superpower, the lessons of Washington's Farewell Address were heeded by citizens, Congress, and cabinets throughout the history of the United States of America but have been increasingly ignored by the passage of time and the rise of new generations.
In this American tradition of reflection before resignation, I offer some closing words of hope and advice that my perspective has cultivated. Through four and a half years, I have used themes of science and history to address virtues, remember forgotten events, and uncover the motivation of individuals from all parts of recorded history, but all things end. Since every man of greatness has died, every grand empire has faded, and every absolute, undeniable reality has been altered, it may seem foolish to attempt to embody resilience for values of personal worth, but the world is not shaped by the decisions of one person. No, the world is shaped by a culmination of individuals pressing toward a goal, regardless of motivation, just as Thomas Hobbes described in Leviathan (1651). Unity is the strength of man, but that unity will only persist by the quality and endurance of each individual. Education, context, and awareness establish the paramount tools in embodying your personal and societal values. Watch, think, and decide to determine action just as the most successful leaders of history and science have. Learn from the past to improve the future.
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Agatha Tyche
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