George Washington's Farewell Address and Morality in Governance

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing core political science concepts, founding documents, and historical contexts from George Washington's Farewell Address.

Anti-Federalists

Individuals during the constitutional era, such as Brutus, who advocated for weaker national power and supported principles aligned with the Articles of Confederation.

Precedent

A historical example, standard, or tradition set by a leader, such as George Washington establishing the custom of U.S. presidents serving a maximum of two terms.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR)

The U.S. president who broke George Washington's two-term precedent by running for and winning a third term during World War II.

Washington's Farewell Address

A foundational document published in September 1796 in which George Washington announced his retirement from office and presented key warnings on national unity, political prosperity, and morality.

Philadelphia Daily American Advertiser

The newspaper in which George Washington's Farewell Address was first published in September 1796 before being reprinted across the nation.

Hitchcock's Formulation

Historian James Hitchcock's summary of the early American consensus that democracy requires virtue and virtue requires religion.

John Adams' Perspective on the Constitution

The statement by John Adams asserting that the U.S. Constitution was created only for a moral and religious people and is wholly inadequate to govern any other.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

An early U.S. law stating that religion, morality, and knowledge are necessary to good government, encouraging education and paving the way for Ohio's statehood in 1803.

Union (Washington's Framework)

The primary pillar of American independence, domestic tranquility, safety, prosperity, and liberty emphasized in Washington's Farewell Address.

Indispensable Supports

George Washington's description of religion and morality as the necessary foundational supports for political prosperity and human happiness.

Civic Republican Virtue

The practice of prioritizing reason over passion and focusing on the greater public good to maintain a free popular government.

Internal Motivator

A personal, religious, or moral sense of obligation that drives citizens to act honestly and follow laws, complementing external legal punishments.

Virtue in Foreign Policy

The principle in Washington's Farewell Address asserting that a free nation should observe good faith, justice, and harmony toward all nations based on religion and sound policy.