On September 19, 1796, President George Washington gave his parting advice to a new nation trying to navigate a challenging new world. Yet, contrary to the claims of “Farewell Address Fundamentalists,” Washington’s advice that the United States should remain neutral in the European conflicts of that time was never meant to suggest a permanent strategy of isolation. Rather, he viewed it as a necessary step to allow the young United States to grow stronger. Washington’s ultimate goal was a powerful and sovereign America, capable of determining our foreign policy to “choose peace or war, as our interest, guided by justice, shall counsel.” Washington’s Farewell Address remains relevant today as a reminder that American foreign policy should strive for a position of strength, be informed by prudence, and ultimately be guided by our enlightened self-interest. In this episode, Rachel Hoff, Policy Director at the Ronald Reagan Institute, and Mike Watson, Executive Director of The Alexander Hamilton Society, examine the true meaning of Washington’s Farewell Address.