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Historical lessonRetirementReflective

Farewell Address

Washington’s published farewell letter shows how a departure can leave listeners with a principle to practice after the speaker is gone.

Speaking time
8 sec
Words on this page
14

A sourced excerpt

Read it like a speaker

Make cue cards

01

Parting counsel excerpt

Leave a usable value with the people who will carry the work forward.

Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all

Say it: Give the two verbs, “observe” and “cultivate,” a little space. Finish with a settled voice.

Speaker’s notebook

Why it works

  1. 1The imperative verbs make the farewell useful: it asks for conduct, not simply remembrance.
  2. 2The parallel clauses pair a moral standard with a relationship the audience can maintain.
  3. 3A public letter supplies a lesson in structure even though this address was not originally delivered as a farewell speech.

Details to notice

The speech’s center

Speaker or role
President George Washington
Room
The American public, addressed in a published letter
Ideas
FarewellLegacyPeaceIntegrity

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