Farewell Address

References

Farewell Address

speech by Washington

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 26, 2026

Quick Summary

George Washington's Farewell Address, delivered in 1796, was a significant piece of advice to the nation as he prepared to leave office. Largely written by Alexander Hamilton but refined by Washington, the address emphasized his desire for the United States to remain free from entangling foreign alliances and to cultivate a distinct American identity. It also touched upon the dangers of political factions. Washington retired to his Mount Vernon estate, seeking a life of leisure after his presidency. His administration was marked by careful judgment, a desire to remain above party politics, and efforts to establish the authority and dignity of the new federal government. He balanced his cabinet with differing viewpoints, notably between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, and asserted national sovereignty, particularly in foreign policy.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Alexander Hamilton
Out of the cabinet
…that advice, Washington gave his Farewell Address in September 1796. Hamilton drafted most of the address, and some of his ideas were prominent in it. In the election, Federalist leaders passed over Hamilton’s claims and nominated John Adams for the presidency and Thomas Pinckney for the vice presidency. Because Adams…
Read More
…that advice, Washington gave his Farewell Address in September 1796. Hamilton drafted most of the address, and some of his ideas were prominent in it. In the election, Federalist leaders passed over Hamilton’s claims and nominated John Adams for the presidency and Thomas Pinckney for the vice presidency. Because Adams…
Read More

George Washington
Retirement
…to his country in the Farewell Address (see original text) of September 19, 1796, written largely by Hamilton but remolded by Washington and expressing his ideas. Retiring in March 1797 to Mount Vernon, he devoted himself for the last two and a half years of his life to his family,…
Read More
…to his country in the Farewell Address (see original text) of September 19, 1796, written largely by Hamilton but remolded by Washington and expressing his ideas. Retiring in March 1797 to Mount Vernon, he devoted himself for the last two and a half years of his life to his family,…
Read More

United States
The Federalist administration and the formation of parties
In his Farewell Address (see original text), in a passage drafted by Hamilton, he denounced the new party politics as divisive and dangerous. Parties did not yet aspire to national objectives, however, and, when the Federalist John Adams was elected president, the Democrat-Republican Jefferson, as the presidential…
Read More
In his Farewell Address (see original text), in a passage drafted by Hamilton, he denounced the new party politics as divisive and dangerous. Parties did not yet aspire to national objectives, however, and, when the Federalist John Adams was elected president, the Democrat-Republican Jefferson, as the presidential…
Read More

presidency of the United States of America
Postrevolutionary period
In his Farewell Address (1796) he cautioned his successors to “steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world” and not to “entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice.” His warnings laid the foundation for…
Read More
In his Farewell Address (1796) he cautioned his successors to “steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world” and not to “entangle our peace and prosperity in the toils of European ambition, rivalship, interest, humor, or caprice.” His warnings laid the foundation for…
Read More

isolationism
…was given expression in the Farewell Address of Pres. George Washington and in the early 19th-century Monroe Doctrine. The term is most often applied to the political atmosphere in the U.S. in the 1930s. The failure of Pres. Woodrow Wilson’s internationalism, liberal opposition to war as an instrument of policy,…
Read More
…was given expression in the Farewell Address of Pres. George Washington and in the early 19th-century Monroe Doctrine. The term is most often applied to the political atmosphere in the U.S. in the 1930s. The failure of Pres. Woodrow Wilson’s internationalism, liberal opposition to war as an instrument of policy,…
Read More

New York Public Library
Mencken papers and George Washington’s farewell address, in his own hand.
Read More
Mencken papers and George Washington’s farewell address, in his own hand.
Read More