United States and American History: 1796

About the history of the United States in 1796, Tennessee becomes the 16th state, Washington's farewell address.

1796

June 1 Tennessee became the 16th State to join the Union.

Sept. 17 Before he left office, George Washington issued a "Farewell Address" to the American people, but he did not deliver it orally. Instead, it was published in the Philadelphia American Advertiser. A long-established custom still observed in the Senate and House of Representatives today is to convene on Washingon's Birthday for an oral reading, by one of their members, of the famous address. In it Washington said: "My 1st wish is to see this plague of mankind-war-banished from the earth."