Ethos and LogosWashington really uses all three forms of rhetoric, including pathos (as most good politicians do), but the one he leans on the most heavily is ethos—with a side of logos.The fact...

EssayWashington's farewell address is a bit of a strange one—it's written like a speech, but he never presented it publicly. It was always meant to be published in print. So, the structure mimics...

Cautionary but EncouragingWashington spends most of his farewell address giving the American people some sage advice, despite his self-professed incompetence. That means he sees something is wrong...

Complex and ThoroughGeorge Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison were not ones for short, direct sentences. They tend to go for eloquence, which can mean some very, very long sentences....

The title here is pretty straightforward. The address was published, but it's written like a speech, and speeches didn't go for punchy or catchy titles in the colonial era. The main thing about the...

Washington begins his farewell address by getting the primary business out of the way: telling people he's not going to be president again. It's a long sentence, but it gets the job done:The period...

Washington ends his speech on a personal note, looking forward to what lies ahead when he retires:Relying on its kindness in this as in other things, and actuated by that fervent love towards it, w...

Tree Line (6)Washington doesn't try to be cryptic or do anything really fancy with his language. However, politicians generally used pretty advanced language and long sentences, and Washington is n...

In-Text ReferencesLiterary and Philosophical ReferencesBaron de Montesquieu, Charles-Louis de Secondat (25.1-6)Historical and Political ReferencesJay Treaty (16.4)Treaty of San Lorenzo (16.4)Rise o...

George Washington was naturally brown-haired (and a borderline redhead). The iconic white hair in all his portraits was not a wig, like others wore at the time, but was just his normal hair—powde...