Washington’s Farewell Address Activity l George Washington Presidency Political

What did Washington warn us about — and were we right to worry?

In this student-centered, Common Core-aligned activity, students dig into George Washington’s Farewell Address and explore the birth of America’s political parties.

How it works:

• Students read background information on this famous speech
• They analyze excerpts from the address (with difficult vocabulary defined right in the text)
• Using evidence from the speech, students defend claims about Washington’s warnings
• Students then compare Washington’s concerns to modern political parties by reading an excerpt from the Harvard Review on party conflict
• Finally, students interpret a pie chart showing the current breakdown of political parties in the U.S.

Also included:
✔ Answer key

A thoughtful way to connect early American history to today’s political landscape, while building primary source analysis and evidence-based reasoning skills.