The Resignation of Pres. Washington

Washington, George

In September 1796, George Washington announced he would not seek a third term as the nation’s first president. His statement has come to be known as Washington’s Farewell Address although he did not deliver it as public speech. He wrote it as a letter under the simple heading “To the People of the United States.” Over 7000 words long, Washington’s Farewell was published across the country first in newspapers and later in small books.