Presidential Farewell and Last Addresses

Various

This collection will put in one place, all the Farewell (or last) Addresses made by each of the 43 ex-US presidents.

The first, George Washington's "Farewell Address", issued as a public letter in 1796, was one of the most influential statements of republicanism. Drafted primarily by Washington himself, with help from Hamilton, it gives advice on the necessity and importance of national union, the value of the Constitution and the rule of law, the evils of political parties, and the proper virtues of a republican people. He called morality "a necessary spring of popular government". He said, "Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

Washington's public political address warned against foreign influence in domestic affairs and American meddling in European affairs. He warned against bitter partisanship in domestic politics and called for men to move beyond partisanship and serve the common good. He warned against "permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world", saying the United States must concentrate primarily on American interests. He counseled friendship and commerce with all nations, but warned against involvement in European wars and entering into long-term "entangling" alliances. The address quickly set American values regarding foreign affairs. ( Wikipedia)

All of the other presidential addresses were collected from available on-line sources and, while there may be disagreement among some as to which, exactly, was the "last address" of a particular president, great effort has been made to be as accurate as possible. (summary by John Greenman)

Genre(s): Literary Collections, Political Science

Language: English

Group: Presidential Farewell Addresses

Section Chapter Author Source Reader Time Language
Play 01 George Washington George Washington Etext John Greenman
00:51:02 en
Play 02 John Adams John Adams Etext John Greenman
00:12:37 en
Play 03 Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson Etext John Greenman
00:22:21 en
Play 04 James Madison James Madison Etext John Greenman
00:28:07 en
Play 05 James Monroe James Monroe Etext John Greenman
01:06:28 en
Play 06 John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams Etext John Greenman
01:00:30 en
Play 07 Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson Etext John Greenman
01:03:02 en
Play 08 Martin Van Buren Martin Van Buren Etext John Greenman
01:09:48 en
Play 09 William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison Etext John Greenman
01:03:04 en
Play 10 John Tyler John Tyler Etext John Greenman
01:10:41 en
Play 11 James K. Polk - Part 1 James K. Polk Etext John Greenman
01:15:05 en
Play 12 James K. Polk - Part 2 James K. Polk Etext John Greenman
01:15:06 en
Play 13 James K. Polk - Part 3 James K. Polk Etext John Greenman
00:11:26 en
Play 14 Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor Etext John Greenman
00:59:36 en
Play 15 Millard Filmore Millard Fillmore Etext John Greenman
01:16:39 en
Play 16 Franklin Pierce - part 1 Franklin Pierce Etext John Greenman
00:50:46 en
Play 17 Franklin Pierce - part 2 Franklin Pierce Etext John Greenman
00:30:41 en
Play 18 James Buchanan - part 1 James Buchanan Etext John Greenman
00:48:29 en
Play 19 James Buchanan - part 2 James Buchanan Etext John Greenman
00:53:58 en
Play 20 Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln Etext John Greenman
00:16:47 en
Play 21 Andrew Johnson - part 1 Andrew Johnson Etext John Greenman
00:52:41 en
Play 22 Andrew Johnson - part 2 Andrew Johnson Etext John Greenman
00:26:50 en
Play 23 Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant Etext John Greenman
00:51:17 en
Play 24 Rutherford B. Hayes - part 1 Rutherford B. Hayes Etext John Greenman
01:05:31 en
Play 25 Rutherford B. Hayes - part 2 Rutherford B. Hayes Etext John Greenman
00:40:31 en
Play 26 James Garfield James A. Garfield Etext John Greenman
00:24:51 en
Play 27 Chester A. Arthur Chester A. Arthur Etext John Greenman
01:11:34 en
Play 28 Benjamin Harrison - part 1 Benjamin Harrison Etext John Greenman
00:57:50 en
Play 29 Benjamin Harrison - part 2 Benjamin Harrison Etext John Greenman
00:48:58 en
Play 30 Grover Cleveland - part 1 Grover Cleveland Etext John Greenman
00:58:12 en
Play 31 Grover Cleveland - part 2 Grover Cleveland Etext John Greenman
01:03:34 en
Play 32 William McKinley William McKinley Etext John Greenman
00:18:52 en
Play 33 Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Etext John Greenman
00:03:24 en
Play 34 William Howard Taft - part 1 William Howard Taft Etext John Greenman
00:41:07 en
Play 35 William Howard Taft - part 2 William Howard Taft Etext John Greenman
00:37:18 en
Play 36 Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson Etext John Greenman
00:21:01 en
Play 37 Warren G. Harding Warren G. Harding Etext John Greenman
00:12:40 en
Play 38 Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge Etext John Greenman
00:25:56 en
Play 39 Herbert Hoover Herbert Hoover Etext John Greenman
00:39:22 en
Play 40 Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Etext John Greenman
00:07:50 en
Play 41 Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman Etext John Greenman
00:27:37 en
Play 42 Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower Etext John Greenman
00:16:50 en
Play 43 John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy Etext John Greenman
00:21:35 en
Play 44 Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Etext John Greenman
00:33:06 en
Play 45 Richard Nixon Richard Milhouse Nixon Etext John Greenman
00:14:32 en
Play 46 Gerald Ford Gerald Ford Etext John Greenman
00:39:22 en
Play 47 Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter Etext John Greenman
00:17:18 en
Play 48 Ronald Reagan Ronald Reagan Etext John Greenman
00:24:45 en
Play 49 George H. W. Bush George H. W. Bush Etext John Greenman
00:27:20 en
Play 50 Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton Etext John Greenman
00:09:29 en
Play 51 George W. Bush George W. Bush Etext John Greenman
00:14:50 en