Washington's Legacy

UNIT 5: young Nation

Lesson: George Washington's Legacy

Tennessee State Standard:

8.25 Analyze the major events of the administration of President George Washington, including: the precedents he set, Whiskey Rebellion, and ideas presented in his farewell address.

George Washingtons Legacy

WASHINGTON'S PRECEDENTS

Because the US government and the office of the President had just begun, Washington had no precise examples to follow about what he should do as President. As a result, he needed to establish precedents to reassure the people he would not act like a king.

Washington's Precedents:

Yearly "State of the Union" Speech
Only served 2 terms

WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL ADDRESS

In 1796, President George Washington set another president when he did not seek reelection. After serving as president for eight years, he did not seek a third term.

*(Other than Grover Cleveland, who ran for president three times and won twice, and Franklin D Roosevelt, who ran and was elected four times, no other president ran for office more than twice. Two term limits became law with the passage of the 22nd amendment in 1951.)

In September 1796, Washington read a famous letter to the nation, now known as his Farewell Address.

In this document, Washington offered advice on how the nation should move forward:

He felt that Americans would do best to work in harmony.
He wanted people to put aside political and regional divisions.
He closed his address by stating that the United States should remain neutral when other countries went to war and warned against permanent alliances with other countries.

Washington’s Farewell Address

Main Points:

1. Warned Against Political Parties
2. Warned Against Global Alliances
3. Be Cautious of Over Taxing

George Washington died on December 14, 1799.

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