How Did George Washington's Farewell Address

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As the first president of the United States of America, George Washington had many experiences which led to an informative farewell address. In his experienced address, Washington warned about things that might be harmful to the new nation. Among the things that Washington warned about, taking on debt, not having separation of powers, and political parties were some of the largest issues. These obstacles could prove problematic to the developing country. The national debt was a very large issue after the days of the Revolutionary War. The government had sold bonds but had been unable to pay them back. That created a very considerable problem with bondholders and the economy. As a result, whiskey became a sort of currency in the country. When the government caught on to this, they created a whiskey tax. This new tax was unacceptable to some so the Whiskey Rebellion broke out. To end this havoc, Washington himself went to stifle the rebellion before it could create true chaos. In his address, Washington states that, “let there be no change by usurpation; for through this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good(Paragraph 3).” Here, president Washington is saying that …show more content…

He wanted to address this to prevent a single branch of government from growing too powerful. If one branch became too powerful, it could control the government and overpower the others. Washington states that each branch should have its own place, “...the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration, to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another.” Having the checks and balances keeps every branch in line and within their limits. Every branch has their own specialities and if they are all addressed, the government can operate as it

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