The Rhetorical Analysis Of Washington's Farewell Address

Washington had many tough decisions in his life that pulled him in every direction and called for him to think every decision through. One of these decisions, and probably the one that was on his mind the most, was the idea of the emancipation of slavery. As it is stated on page 164, Washington told his manager, Lund Washington, that he wanted to abandon slave labor at Mount Vernon and replace it with hired workers. Eventually he began to lose profits so he debated selling his slaves. His heart would not allow for him to split up families, so he was forced to deal with the consequences of using hired laborers. Another

The first thing Washington warned Americans about was love or hatred for other nations. He advocated for peace and equality toward all foreign countries. Washington stated, “It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest…” (Sources 119). Washington warned Americans that favoritism toward one foreign nation over another would not only cause differences with some foreign nations, but also could lead to issues in America. He believed foreign issues would allow an opportunity for groups of people (factions) to mislead the general public in America, thus dividing the country. Washington also warns us not to get involved in the disputes of other countries. He believes

This means that he doesn’t want to see the country fall apart therefore he is telling them to stay neutral. He knew they were weak and couldn’t handle another war because a lot of the people would die. Also, Document 3 Washington’s Farewell Address says, “The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is… to have with them as little political connection as possible… we [must] steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.” This is another example of him caring about the citizens. He

Washington’s purpose for writing his Farewell Address was to address(?) why he wouldn’t be running for a third term of presidency, along with well thought out ideas on how to keep the Union strong and unified towards hard times in the future. He also wanted his address to be a reminder for future presidents and politicians to not to take advantage of their freedom they fought so hard to obtain. Washington continues to explain that education within the public is a priority; educated individuals will be able to articulate the different sides of the political spectrum and be able to vote with confidence in what they believe in.

Washington had been worn down by this great war for independence that had been held over him for so many years. It was now time for him to take his leave from public life. Washington had left the spotlight and through this he became a modern day Cincinnatus as Larson says, “Indeed, this had become a central feature of his public persona as the American Cincinnatus, honored for his military and beloved for his devotion to popular rule. ”(Larson, 45)He gained the respect of millions by not taking over after the revolution. It took the strongest of character to refuse the power that lay before him.

George Washington’s legacy is felt throughout American politics and customs with his precedents set in mind to ensure the welfare of America. The four precedents which held the most impact were his precedents of having a two-term presidency, maintaining neutrality in foreign affairs, convening the cabinet to for advice, and using force to uphold law. These four precedents had great impact and were pivotal in securing America’s future and maintaining America’s stability. The issues of foreign affairs is one which determine what paths America would take in relations with other nations.

On January 11, 1989, President Ronald Reagan sat at his desk in the Oval Office to address his nation for the final time. This rhetorical moment was not the first of its kind. Rather, the Farewell Address is a Presidential tradition, started by George Washington, that every president takes part in before leaving office. As a sort of “goodbye” to the nation, the President discusses the accomplishments of his administration while offering pieces of advice for the future. Washington warned against a government with an “unmoderated” political party system (Spalding 75), Ronald Reagan warned of the effects of an America devoid of patriotism.

To help us maintain the efficiency of our government, George Washington gave our country words of advice in his Farewell address. His Farewell address was in 1796, on the eve of September 19. He mentioned that he would not be running in the next election and that his time as president was up. Washington, with the country’s welfare in mind, wanted the nation to obtain and maintain felicity. He had decided that he would give the future president and the people of the nation advice based on his experiences as president. His words of wisdom consists of telling us to stay united, follow the constitution, and to stay neutral.

European investment capital poured into the new nation in large amounts. Washington’s decision to appoint Alexander Hamilton to secretary of treasury was one of genius. The beneficial impact on America and its citizens was immense and almost unbelievable. A third decision made by President George Washington was that he willingly chose to serve only two terms in office. It was in part because he felt that the office of President should be held by citizens who wished to serve their country, not by individuals who sought complete power, and from whom the new nation had struggled so long to gain its independence. The majority of Presidents who followed Washington made this same choice, based on the precedent he established, until the two-term limit for presidents was codified into a law by the 22nd amendment. By refusing to pursue a third term, Washington made it the enduring standard that no U.S. President should seek more than two. Washington's Farewell Address was a primer on republican virtue and a stern warning against involvement in foreign wars. The impact of Washington’s retirement as President on America was an upsetting one. Many Americans looked up to Washington, and depended on him to keep America going in the right direction. Although Washington’s choice to step down came as a surprise, the people and America in general was greatly impacted and benefited by Washington’s

Washington saw the countries dividing along political lines, and foresaw endangers of partisan affecting national unity. He urged the American people to avoid political parties, believing that it would lead to the “ruins of public liberty (50).” He strongly believed that the political parties had “served to distract… [and] agitate the Community will ill-founded jealousies and false alarms (51).” Washington exposed the intentions of political parties by saying, “The alternate domination” of one party over another will lead to a “frightful despotism (49).” In other words, hyperpartisan, influenced by a revenge seeking spirit, will hand over trust and absolute power to the

This started the whiskey rebellion. This was first big test for the federal government; would it be able to enforce its own laws? Washington sent out a force of 13,000 militiamen to stop the rebellion. He arrested 150 Pennsylvanians and pardoned 2 people who were sentenced to death. This all ties in with Washington’s domestic policies: he didn’t view himself as better than the people but he still needed to be viewed and respected as a leader. This kept the nation together because it showed that Washington was a strong leader and was able to enforce the laws.

When Washington wrote his Farewell Address, he had already made the decision to retire from his job as president and return to his home on Mount Vernon. No longer was he concerned with making a future for the country. Instead he was concerned with offering the parting advice of an “old and affectionate friend”. Washington offered his advice on a number of different topics, but the most relevant topic to politics

President Obama, like all Presidents before him, delivered a farewell address to the United States on January 20, 2017. As he stepped down as President he was eloquent and it was as clear as ever that he is a master of oration. Obama will go down in history as the first Black President as well as a strong orator who had the ability to captivate an audience through his use of ethos, pathos and logos amongst other rhetorical devices. His farewell address is a perfect example of Obama’s mastery of discourse as it is chock full of oratorical devices. Obama’s message to the American people and to the rest of the world is that it is essential that we maintain a sense of what it means to have a democracy and that in order to maintain peace and

In Washington’s time as president, he saw many dangers that might impact America negatively in the future. His farewell speech addressed three main concerns that Washington perceived as precarious. Washington warned America to listen to his concerns and take them into consideration. Even though he wasn't running for president again, he still cared about America and wanted it to survive. He encouraged political unity, paying off national debts, and staying neutral.

Due to the rapidly changing America, in his farewell address, Ronald Reagan expresses the need for unification of America, and America’s culture. In Reagan’s address, he uses many rhetorical devices to advance his purpose of unifying America, for instance, Reagan utilizes tone, syntax, and pathos to portray his pride, hopefulness, and patriotism for America. He uses these devices to show Americans of the unification America needs.