Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from radiotopia.

My name is Jody Avergan.

This day, September 19th, 1796, a letter from George Washington appears in the

Philadelphia Daily American advertiser, a popular newspaper, and its headline

is The Address of General Washington to the

people of America on his declining the presidency of the United States.

And it did just that. This was the first president of the United States, probably the

most lauded of the founding fathers, who had steered the country into independence, was now saying that his time was done, voluntarily saying so.

It is one of the most famous speeches in American history except as we are

about to discuss it wasn't ever really a speech it was just a letter in a

newspaper but nonetheless Washington's words really are remarkable as was his decision to not run again. is really

relevant as we are

relevant as we are in the wake of

of Joe Biden declining to run again

a move that many at the time compared to this George Washington moment.

So let's talk about George Washington's farewell remarks, his declining to run again, the sort

of interesting positioning that he takes in this letter. Here is always

Nicole Hammer of Vanderbilt and Kelly Carter Jackson of Wellesley. Hello Jody.

Hey there. I think we can add this to a sort of minor side list of Mandela effect moments where I think people have this notion of like George Washington getting up there and giving this tear-eyed speech where he says I'm done everything I can for this country and now it's time for me to go into the

sunset years or whatever and instead it's a it's a letter to a newspaper saying I'm not

going to run for president again so So maybe a little less? Does that diminish

anything for the either of you? I mean most famous letter to the editor in American

...