In this landmark speech, delivered by George Washington in 1796, the nation's first president discusses his plans to retire from public life and offers advice to the American people on how to build a strong and unified nation. His words have become an enduring part of American political culture and remain a source of inspiration for citizens and leaders alike. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.