Named source · 1796

Farewell Address, 19 September 1796 Quotes by George Washington: Context & Meanings

1 quotation linked to Farewell Address, 19 September 1796 by or associated with George Washington, with source notes, explanations and related topics.

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George Washington’s Farewell Address dated September 19, 1796

Topics and ideas

Union, constitutional authority, popular sovereignty, political parties, foreign relations, morality and republican government.

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The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government.

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“The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their Constitutions of Government.”

George Washington

Meaning & context

Washington grounds legitimate constitutional authority in the people’s continuing right to establish and revise their form of government.

Source details

Farewell Address, September 19, 1796, preserved by Founders Online / National Archives. The sentence appears while Washington urges respect for the Constitution and laws while affirming the people’s right to alter constitutional government. It is a historical republican argument, not present-day legal advice about amendment procedures.

George Washington’s Farewell Address dated September 19, 1796

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