[caption id="attachment_2063" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="From the Rare Book and Special Collections Division of the Library of Congress"] [/caption] On this day, September 17, 1796, George Washington's Farewell Address was read to Congress for the first time. In it he thanked the American people for allowing him to serve, not just as president, but for every position in his 45 years of public service. Delivered 2 months before the presidential election it was also meant to let the people know that he was not running for a third presidential term. However, more than that, it was an opportunity for Washington to impart some much needed advice to the people of the young republic, including warning us about the dangers of political parties, foreign alliances, and false patriotism. Although Washington never thought his words would make such a great impression on the people, the Farewell Address is undoubtedly one of the most important political documents in American history. To see the full text of the Farewell address, visit the Avalon Project at Yale Law School.