Throughout Washington’s speech, he provides several warnings that he believes can save the country from future problems. Which of these warnings do you think is the most crucial to The Preservation of Liberty? Consider how the country has evolved since Washington’s time and what you see as the biggest threat to the continued strength of the United States as a democracy. You might also think about the following points:

• How important is the Virtue of individual politicians in helping the country function effectively?
• What parties and factions have developed since 1796, and what is their effect on the government and on citizens’ liberty?

Teaching Suggestion: You might use this prompt as the basis for a class discussion and write students’ answers on the whiteboard as they answer or type into a projected document that is shared with the class. You might also encourage students to refer to each other’s responses to develop citing and listening skills.

Differentiation Suggestion: For visual learners, consider annotating the text under a document camera or on Google Docs with a marking key. For example:

Highlight Key Terms

Underline Main Ideas

[Bracket] Evidence/Key Details