Washington’s Farewell Address – Debt and Foreign Entanglements

The New Nation
Written By Tom Hand

In his Farewell Address, President George Washington advised America to remain fiscally prudent and to avoid permanent foreign alliances that could pull the country into a costly war. Washington understood that in times of war the nation must incur unforeseen expenses, but he felt America should avoid “the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts.” But Washington’s most stringent warning was on the danger of establishing binding alliances with other countries.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses President Washington’s thoughts on foreign entanglements and incurring debt, and why it still matters today.

Images courtesy of Library of Congress, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brandywine Museum of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, National Portrait Gallery - Smithsonian Institution, Wikipedia.

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Tom Hand
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