[applause] john thank you. Its an honor to be here. A great thing to be talking about George Washington. In itself it tells us a lot. Had you get interested in the project and why is the interest today. Imagine if the first Founding Fathers sat down with Alexander Hamilton in James Madison and wrote a memo to future generations, to us, specifically about the forces he feared. Rooted in the lessons of his life and understanding of history. He did. That is the farewell address. It was the philadelphia executive mansion on market six street. And he wrote it over years as the autobiography of his ideas. And it really was the sum total of his hardwon wisdom, john all the aspects of his life as a soldier, surveyor, father, statesman. Washington doesnt always get the respect he deserves as a thinker. As a man of great wisdom. He wasnt a shining wit. He was enormously insecure. As opposed to the great confidence he felt as a general, as a farmer. He really did cultivate his character consciously to attempt to create a national character. The farewell address is in a normative gift. And it was understood as such for a long time. For the first 150 years of our republic. It was that foundational. It was consulted by president s and statement statesman is a lens through which to judge and guide decisions. The fact that it fell out of favor and is almost forgotten is itself a great opportunity for us to rediscover it at a pretty pivotal moment. I think a lot of folks are thinking about america as a civilization for the first time in trying to understand these Larger Forces of history that was sometimes recklessly play with. And we understand it as part of our birthright. Recognizing that we have responsibilities as citizens to understand and apply that to the present so that we can pass it on to the future. That farewell address is an inspired is an inspiring document. It is durable wisdom and that is why it was such an honor to write the book. We will get into the real substance of the address at the moment. It could be a good place to begin, recognizing that is not the first farewell address. Getting farewell addresses was not something washington likes to do with something he had thought about before. He had a genius for goodbye. He understood and i think its a measure of both his innate modesty and his understanding of politics that he knew that absence could be a higher form of presence. He knew that the person being pursued is always more desirable than the person doing the pursuing. Washingtons first farewell address was when he was on his commission as commander of the continental army. You have to understand, in a life full of firsts, this was the first decisive moment and it was famous for its time. George the third. The pattern that history had provided over and over again is that the young leader. It and against advice, when there was an attempted to the dented coup, a mutiny of his officers. He decidedly steps off the stage. But when he does that, he is stationed in new york. It fascinating hamlet. His headquarters still stand. The historically designated spaces. We recommend everyone visit. He doesnt do it as near as we can tell if any ghostwriters. He cuts his own quills. He writes a farewell address in the format on a circular letter to the states. And it was disseminated organically that way. As citizens, it is a time of great peril and a time of crisis. Every other nation in the world is waiting for us to fail. The whole colonial powers. If we have all the advantages of geography. He spoke about geography as a soldier and farmer often does. Another bit of inherited wisdom is maybe democracy could exist. Never 13 colonies on a long land. Showing that we could focus on national unity. They couldnt get their act together with regard to funding the intercontinental army. They needed to really focus on investing in the success of society. They talked about the importance of paying your debts. Whether it was on a federal level, state level, or crucially to the soldiers and the pensions. It was a great source of pain. Already he sought commitment to national unity. A focus on Building National character. And containing what we would call hyper partisanship. They didnt listen to it during the articles of confederation and would eventually becomes washington. That was almost as famous as his farewell address. It establishes crucially that the farewell address of washingtons ideas. These are not hamilton ghost writing that washington sets his name to. That washington was a man of deep ideas. Once he becomes president , and this is discussed. When it is brought back onto the stage, you talk about it a lot in your book. As he moves to the first and second term. They focus this on the early days of the government. As carefully written as the constitution was, and why places like this. It is essentially a framework. What you fill it with is largely up to the president and the congress to create that precedent. And the First Congress in lower manhattan, from new york city with a joint dual citizenship. In those cramped city streets, the markets exist in philadelphia because new york is a place that reinvents itself. The First Congress takes place in federal hall. They were making it up essentially as they are going on. They are debating how much the president is considered a king. The city of new york spruces up city hall. At the Congressional Library is the most popular book. It shows how much the precedent, trying to learn the lessons of history. So that they didnt follow the path. There hasnt yet been a democracy. There is an enormous amount of griping. They are focused on supporting the bill of rights. That this was before the Political Parties, folks. Washington himself is not a member of a political party. Hes an independent as a matter of principle. The founders assumed. It would provide enough as we can see them. Even going back to the constitutional debate, there is a natural cleaving into two very recognizable groups. Folks, interim men distally rural areas, they are concerned about power and concerned about the ratification of the constitution. There are folks that favor a strong Central Government that tend to come from cities. The division is obviously deeply reminiscent of democrats and republicans today. But that the characters of the country change. Washington seems itself as someone who can bridge that divide. He recognizes that both groups believe they are fighting for freedom. Already, civil wars have real possibility. Through dueling partisan newspapers. Medicine falls out when he throws all in with jefferson. At the same time, hes a man of enormous hes approachable by design and that is why hes not as warmly beloved as lincoln is today. To see these folks as they were, as they saw themselves. We have the Founding Fathers. It makes wisdoms much less accessible. Full of doubts. It makes the whole exercise of reading history so much more accessible. They are seeing in a sense that they cant stop the formation of Political Parties. He is succeeding and the same time, wants to leave. So what happened . He is a genuinely reluctant resident. Washington genuinely was a reluctant president. Washington provided presided over the Constitutional Convention and had a unique status as being above party as a certainly, their work is inspired. And the outcome of the individuals is fascinating. He had a unique status of being above party. He had that authority. Even as the Founding Fathers seem like this is was inspired and it is fascinating. There was seen as leaders of the party. Washington was not. I think that space to the design. The federal party early forms around washington. He is exhausted and frustrated. He doesnt feel like his job purports to his strengths. He wants to go home to mount vernon. Martha doesnt even show up. He makes that trip alone because shes not too thrilled after having given him up for the time of the revolution. He is convinced and begins work with James Madison who plays a really interesting role in the first two congresses. He is both a leader of congress and washingtons chief legislator and aid. Washington confesses to him, and there are notes that madison wants to retire. Washington hears him, says i appreciate it, but im out of here. Madison says he should publish it in a newspaper which he eventually does. And, basically, a number of things occur. And the real problems for washington occur in the second term. Washington becomes persuaded that if he leaves, the country could degenerate into civil war. He is aware that madison and jefferson have been attacking his administration through newspaper here in philadelphia, the national gazette. Jefferson lies to his face when confronted about it. And he backs off the idea, doesnt formally announce it. Were at this point where hes not going to be persuaded to stay. We are going to move to that time now where he is being persuaded. Knows there is a value in this address. I am curious to know why he was formmined to put this into and at the same time consult with people who he knows do not get along. He was consulting with pamela and and medicine, it is a double restaurant. Question. I think that partly, hes consciously trying to build a document beyond factions, beyond parties. That, really, if you wanted to steal washingtons wisdom, hes very focused on us becoming an independent nation. A phrase he uses a lot. The title of his first book was independent nation. That the deeper wisdom was this. That the independence as a nation is inseparable from interdependence as people. That is the core was done and hes entirely focused on national unity, creating a national character. And doing it through education. The greatest team of ghostwriters in history. Hamilton does the second draft and plays him off his politics were he can claim the lions share of credit for the words, not the ideas. To your point, he gets back together, the band of brothers and does the federalist papers. It is a wonderful moment where we found out hamilton nj did the hamilton did the final edit. Its july of 1796. He is the elder pair of eyes. He and hamilton had a complicated relationship. A little bit fatherson, a little bit hotheaded. And washington really tried to restrain his anger much like eisenhower. He felt he didnt have any advantages and was really struggling. The play hamilton, the musical, the song one last time was about the farewell address. The important precedent is this. Its not just that he sets the twoterm tradition which was also not a given. There was an assumption that residents could stay in office forever. It wouldve been perfectly logical. He said the twoterm precedent which becomes part of the unwritten constitution until fdr violates it and we get an amendment. He decides to make the farewell address something that is carried on and carried forward. He could have easily done just a quick victory lap. Look at all a great things ive done. Im out of here. But he doesnt do that. Specifically right to as a warning about forces he believed could destroy our democratic republic. And that gets carried forward. In almost every farewell address , even president obamas farewell address which quotes washingtons farewell warns about threats to our democracy. Washington was really focused on paying it forward. He was riding in rewriting the document. In a former life, i was a speechwriter for new york mayor rudy giuliani. You see the line that washington is making. They are minute and hes writing because hes aware posterity will judge it. So he wants to clear away any misinterpretation. He is writing for future generations, for us, writing about the big topics. You can see all the politics of what we can get into in greater depth. The fact he right to farewell address as a warning is one of his great gifts and one that gets carried forward. The great speech requires, in a sense, a great outlet. How does he end up settling on a place where he ends up choosing as a place to publish it. He chooses the American Daily advertiser which is one of several papers on what was then high street and now Market Street in philadelphia. The model for this to the extent there was a model was a european king bidding goodbye to assembled parliament. Medicine suggests he disseminates it in a newspaper. He is the president directly addressing the american people. And it would disseminate organically and take some time, months to get to vermont and kentucky. So when hamilton is doing the major edits and advice, their corresponding between new york. Hamilton is arguing cases in front of the supreme court, which is kind of fascinating in and of itself. Washington asks what newspaper and he is suggested dunlops american advertiser. It wasnt dunlops paper anymore. It was his assistant. The federalist had a perfectly pronewspaper they couldve given it to. And the broad and different papers, you would have places like the american aurora which was brutally attacking monarchy, competence, etc. They were attacking jefferson, madison. Washington didnt want to do that. The American Daily advertiser was uniquely committed to that independent perspective. A cynic would say that the reason is they had a lot of congressional publishing contracts going back to the declaration. It did not make sense to throw in with one faction or another. There is a genuine philosophical point of view that that is where they felt the paper should be. Independence is key to the integrity of a news brand. We had folks that tried to write above the fray and believed that that was closer to the mission is journalists. Washington sends out five blocks from the executive mansion, all the papers are located next to each other. And hate each others guts. He sends out the top aide to bring a note down to David Claypool and the president would like to meet you. A new sort of angled sofa on the fireplace. They kept a portrait of king louis of france. Falling in love with the french revolution naively. He basically delivers the greatest scoop. The things written for five years, they go very quickly. It is roughly the ninth anniversary of signing the constitution. Just in the shadow of independence hall. Washington gets a draft, washington makes final, very minute edits. Claypool comes over with the final proof to say thank you. Theyve decided they are going to publish it. Theres no weekend edition. To an afternoon paper. Claypool expresses reluctance to part with it. Washington impetuously says fine, you can keep it. Washington keeps his documents meticulously. He rewrites old letters, sometimes. Claypool basically sits on a in refused to sell it and believed to be lost. Washington leaves philadelphia that morning and with martha and a parent. The paper hits the streets and the news explodes. Its republished in papers in philadelphia, new york, passes along washington in that really fascinating way and his diary says almost nothing. I went home to mount vernon and resignation in the daily advertiser. Thats it. I would ask you to get up and deliver it, but we will save that for later. Share some of the substance with us. It obviously withstood the test of time. I described them as pillars of liberty because that is a phrase washington and the founders used a lot. Ishink the word liberty worth unpacking a little bit to understand why washington was focused on these core themes. We use the words independence and freedom and liberty as essentially interchangeable today, but i think to the founders, there were crucial differences and distinctions. The founders, particularly washington, was always focused on responsibility that comes with freedom. He understood, they understood, that freedom could be a state of nature. That liberty required responsibility. That selfgovernment was a job for a citizen that they needed to be invested in, that the citizens need to be invested in the success of the democratic republic for it to function. For that idea of pillars of liberty, these things were holding up the oedipus of our democratic republic. Washington pointed out these core dangers, and they were really rooted in their understanding of ancient greek and roman history, and referred to in the constitutional debates and in the federalist papers. Hington was the warning was warning about the dangers of hyper partisanship. Wasson was assessed obsessed with addressing this in the federalist papers. Talks about how aging greek republics were torn apart by factions. In particular really understands that when these selfinterested factions theck a democracy and english civil war is very much within living memory of the that it fathers would create a very deadlocked legislature that would create such frustration on the part of average citizens that the inefficiency and effectiveness of democracy that it could open the door to a demagogue with authoritarian ambitions. Washington and the founders were acutely aware of that pattern in human history, and they wanted to counteract it as best they could. They could do it institutionally to some extent, but also needed to lead by the strength of their example setting forth their wisdom. Excessive debt was also a major danger, something more associated with the conservative side of the aisle as a focus, although our conservative friends seem to forget it when it comes to actually passing it. Washington and hamilton here is where hamiltons effort is crucially involved understood that debt was a force that could topple empires. It always had been. , washington and hamilton experienced at that danger especially during the revolution because the Continental Congress couldnt summon the political will to raise money to pay for soldiers. Bullets, shoes, basic stuff. The british tried to use inflation as a weapon to devalue local currency. Morris, im robert washington and robert morris, who was imprisoned, was really the genius as the American Finance system as much as hamilton. They understood the importance of that excessive debt could topple an empire because it violated the concept of pregenerational responsibility. Finally, foreign wars and entanglements. If folks know the farewell address today, they probably alliances,ngling of which doesnt appear in the address. It appears in jeffersons inaugural, was rearticulates washingtons. He becomes a born again washingtonian once he becomes president. [laughter] keep in mind that washington is a young soldier, gets involved in the first skirmish that starts the french and indian wars and the seven years war in europe. The dangers of these sort of interconnected fates are very clear to him. One of the blessing