President’s Eisenhower’s Farewell Address

Posted: October 17th, 2013

President’s Eisenhower’s Farewell Address

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President’s Eisenhower’s Farewell Address

Dwight David Eisenhower was the 34th president of the United States. He was the first president to serve only two terms in office after the country’s constitution was amended. His term in office was between the years of 1953 to 1961. He served in the army before becoming president and was responsible for major invasions after the Second World War. After his eight-year term in office, he wrote a speech that was delivered to the Americans as a form of farewell to the people. It was ten minutes long, was read from the oval office, and viewed by the people through television. He addressed many issues that affected the country in his speech. He also talked about other issues that the country will have to address in the future. The speech acted as a warning about how Americans should be careful on how the lives their lives as it will affect the future.

For most people it came to them as a surprise that President Eisenhower warned against the dangers of overspending on military equipment. He stressed on the importance of keeping peace instead of engaging the country in war. He said that it was important to have the military as a precaution so that they are ready to defend the country and to scare off potential threats. The fact that he advocated for peace this showed a side of him that not so many people knew he had. With his military background, no one would have expected him to advocate for peace. This showed that he was a peaceful night despite what people thought. He understood that when a country is at war many resources are wasted and development does not take place and if it does it is at a slow rate. He hoped that people would learn to sort their differences not by arms but through negotiation and finding common ground (Hyser, 2007).

Another thing that President Eisenhower addressed was the importance of people being careful on how they spend. He talked about how impulsive buying is not an advisable, as it will mean that tomorrow they will not have resources. This showed that he was a caring leader and was interested in the well-being of his fellow citizens in the years to come. He understood the importance of putting money aside for a rainy day and he wanted Americans to emulate this culture. He warned against spending carelessly as he understood that if one spends all the salary that he or she earns you will never be able to save (Ornstein & Eisenhower World Affairs Institute, 1997).

President Eisenhower showed the vision he had for the United States through this speech. He hoped that the people of America would share in his vision of where he wanted America to be in the years that were to come. He hoped that Americans would follow his advice and in the end, they would be able to build a better and stronger nation. He wanted Americans from all lifestyles, religion and background to come together and develop the country. This shows that he was development conscious and was interested in development of the country despite who was in power. He was thankful for the opportunity he had to serve his nation both as a president and as a soldier. He hoped that those who followed would have the same passion and drive.

Reference:

Ornstein, N. J., & Eisenhower World Affairs Institute. (1997). Lessons and legacies: Farewell addresses from the Senate. Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley Pub.

Hyser, R. M., & Arndt, J. C. (2007). Voices of the American past: Documents in U.S. history. Princeton, N.J: Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic.