The Blueprint: Washington’s Farewell Address and His Advice for Every American [Full]

This American President

Society & Culture, Education, History

4.6 • 698 Ratings

🗓️ 21 February 2022

⏱️ 99 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1796, George Washington decided to retire after decades of public service, but he was worried for his nation’s future. This episode explores his Farewell Address, which he hoped would guide Americans beyond his own lifetime. WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY...

Transcript

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0:00.0	There's no such thing as President's Day, at least as far as federal holidays go.
0:06.0	According to federal law, the holiday on the third Monday of February is named Washington's
0:11.0	birthday. It's been a national holiday since 1879. At the time, Washington's birthday was celebrated
0:19.0	on February 22nd every year. But in 1968, Congress passed
0:24.0	the law moving several holidays to Monday. Washington's birthday was moved to the third Monday of
0:29.4	February, and some even wanted to tie it in with Lincoln's birthday on February 12. Some
0:35.3	congressmen warned that changing the date of Washington's birthday would lead
0:39.5	people to forget the significance of America's first president. And that's exactly what happened.
0:45.4	Although Congress didn't change the name of Washington's birthday, moving it closer to Lincoln's,
0:50.4	led car and mattress salesmen to rename the holiday to the snappier President's Day.
0:55.6	As my listeners know, I'm a big George Washington fan,
0:59.1	and it just doesn't seem right to lump Washington in with the Millard Fillmore's of the world.
1:03.9	India has a day to celebrate Gandhi.
1:06.1	Ecuador has a day for Bolivar.
1:08.1	Japan has a day for the Meiji Emperor.
1:10.5	Mexico has a day for Benito Juarez. has a day for the Meiji Emperor, Mexico has a day for Benito
1:12.0	Juarez, and yet in the United States, we've completely forgotten about Washington's birthday.
1:18.4	So today, we're commemorating Washington's birthday by re-releasing an episode on his famed
1:24.0	farewell address, the message he issued to the American people upon retiring from
1:29.1	the presidency. It's a message that represents the culmination of a lifetime of wisdom gleaned
1:35.3	from years of war and revolution. We hope you enjoy this episode, and happy Washington's birthday.
1:52.2	Caring for someone with dementia is one of the toughest journeys, but you don't have to do it alone.
	...

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