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George Washington's Farewell Address was written to "The People of the United States" near the end of his second term as President of the United States and before his retirement to Mount Vernon. Originally published in David Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1796 under the title "The Address of General Washington To The People of The United States on his declining of the Presidency of the United States," the letter was almost immediately reprinted in newspapers across the country and later in a pamphlet form. The "Friends and Fellow-Citizens" The work was later named a "Farewell Address," as it was Washington's valedictory after 45 years of service to the new republic, first during the Revolution as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and later as the nation's first president. The letter was originally prepared in 1792 with the help of James Madison, as Washington prepared to retire following a single term in office. However, he set aside the letter and ran for a second term afte