“French meddling provoked a sharp presidential response in the form of Washington’s Farewell Address. Drafted partly by Hamilton, the president’s statement was at one level a highly partisan political document timed to promote the Federalist cause in the approaching election. Washington’s fervid warnings against the ‘insidious wiles of foreign influence,”and “passionate attachments” to “permanent alliances” with other nations unmistakably alluded to the French connection and Adet’s intrigues. They were designed, at least in part, to discredit the Republicans. At another level, the Farewell Address was a political testament, based on recent experience, in which the retiring president set forth principles to guide the nation in its formative years.” –George Herring, From Colony to Superpower, p. 83
Discussion Questions
- In this paragraph, Herring is referring to French meddling in the 1796 election. What insights for the present day, if any, do you see in the story of French interference in American politics during the 1790s?
- How would you assess the foreign policy accomplishments and setbacks of Washington’s two-term administration?
Additional Resources
- Farewell Address (text) (Avalon Project)
- Farewell Address (page images) National Archives)
- Summary & Context (Mount Vernon)
“One Last Time” from musical “Hamilton”
Performed at the White House in 2016, a musical rendition of Washington’s Farewell Address
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