Washington finished his Farewell Address with help from Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.  In fact, Washington wanted to retire from politics at the end of his first term.  James Madison had helped him with a Farewell Address at that time.  He was convinced to stay as president for one more term.  His new Farewell Address was reshaped from his original.

Washington focused on some main points in his Farewell Address.  A few main points.  First he wanted Americans to come together for the good of the country.  He argued that even though parts of the country were different, they all depended on each other.  He said that a strong government and authority of the Constitution were necessary to keep America great.  He also cautions against long term foreign alliances.  Both of these points draw on Washington’s experience with the Jay Treaty.

On March 2, 1796 Edward Livingston from New York asked for President Washington to hand over all documents related to the negotiation of the Jay Treaty.  President Washington stood strong.  He knew that the Constitution gave the Senate, not the House, the ability to advise and consent on treaties.  He challenged the House to impeach him.  Soon, enough Democratic - Republicans rethought their position.

His Vice President was John Adams.  Adams went on to become the second U.S. President.

His Secretary of State was Edmund Randolph.  Randolph resigned in 1795 due to rumors that he was secretly dealing with the French regarding the Jay Treaty.

His Secretary of War was Timothy Pickering.  Pickering was Quartermaster General of the Army before getting into politics.

His Secretary of the Treasury was Oliver Wolcott, Jr.  Wolcott was the first auditor of the National Treasury.

Remember that back at America’s founding, newspapers held their political views openly.  During the Jay Treaty a newspaper called “The Aurora” spilled Washington’s secret.  Benjamin Franklin Bache published “The Aurora.” Take off the “Bache” and you have Benjamin Franklin.  Well, Bache was Franklin’s grandson.  He inherited Benjamin Franklin’s printing equipment and started printing his anti-Federalist paper.  Bache actually printed the Jay Treaty in a pamphlet.  He sold it all over America for twenty-five cents.  The Superhero Historians aren’t sure if President Washington would find it amusing that a current-day quarter, with his face on it, would buy a pamphlet that caused him so much trouble.

The Treaty of Paris had a number of points to it.  A good number.  The United States wanted to be exactly that, the “United States.” They wanted Great Britain to recognize them as free states.  Both countries set up a boundary between themselves.  Fisherman from the United States wanted to fish the Grand Banks, off the coast of Newfoundland, and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  Both sides needed to settle all debts.  The United States needed to recognize and compensate any Loyalists who had property taken, and prevent any future confiscation of property.  Each country had to release prisoners of war and property.  Both countries were free to use the Mississippi River.  The U.S. needed to return any territory it captured before the treaty.  Finally, the treaty needed to be signed in 6 months.  Whew, what a mouth full of stuff, but it was a serious treaty to end a serious war.

Both sides didn’t fully live up to their bargain.  The Jay Treaty took care of a few loose ends.  In the Jay Treaty the United States wanted Great Britain to fully remove troops from inside the U.S. border, pay back money owed for former slaves not returned, and fully detail the border with Canada.  We’ll get to all that soon enough.