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Közzététele után a republikánusok, különösen Madison bírálták az elnök búcsúüzenetét, azt túlságosan britpártinak és franciaellenesnek tartva.{{sfn|Spalding|Garrity|1996|p=143}}
== RetirementVisszavonulása után (1797–1799) ==
1797 márciusában Washington visszavonult Mount Vernon-ba és idejét ültetvényei, valamint egyéb érdekeltségei igazgatásával töltötte.{{sfn|Breen|White|2006|pp=209–20}} Birtokai nem sok jövedelmet hoztak,{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=53}} nyugati birtokai pedig rendszeres indián támadásoknak voltak kitéve és bérlői nem voltak hajlandók fizetni. Utóbbiakat megpróbálta eladni, de nem talált rá vevőt.{{sfn|Ellis|2004|pp=255–61}} Politikai nézeteit illetően még inkább a föderalisták felé fordult. TÍámogatta a letelepedési törvényt, amely megnehezítette az állampolgárság elnyerését és meggyőzte a föderalista [[John Marshall]]t hogy induljon a Jefferson-párti kongresszusi jelöltekkel szemben.{{sfn|Flexner|1974|p=386}}
Ahogy a viszony Franciaországgal egyre feszültebbé vált, Washington feljánlotta segítségét [[James McHenry]] hadügyminiszternek a hadsereg megszervezésében.{{sfn|Randall|1997|p=497}} Mivel az amerikaiak kereskedtek a britekkel, a franciák feltartóztatták az amerikai hajókat, ami az ún. kváziháborúvá fajult. Washington utóda, John Adams anélkül nevezte ki őt a hadsereg főparancsnokává 1798 júliusában, hogy előzetesen konzultált volna vele.{{sfn|Flexner|1974|1pp=376–377|Bell|1992|2p=64}} Washington elfogadta a kinevezést és egészen másfél évvel későbbi haláláig betöltötte a posztot. Részt vett a hadsereg felállításának tervezésében, bár részletekbe nem bonyolódott. A tényleges parancsnokságot Hamiltonra bízta, aki ideiglenesen tábornoki rangot kapott. A franciák nem szálltak partra az Egyesült Államokban, így hadseregre végül nem volt szükség.{{sfn|Kohn|1975|1pp=225–42|Grizzard|2005|2p=264}}
{{see|Post-presidency of George Washington}}
===Halála===
Washington retired to Mount Vernon in March 1797 and devoted time to his plantations and other business interests, including his [[:File:George Washington's Distillery.JPG|distillery]].{{sfn|Breen|White|2006|pp=209–20}} His plantation operations were only minimally profitable,{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=53}} and his lands in the west ([[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]]) were under Indian attacks and yielded little income, with the squatters there refusing to pay rent. He attempted to sell these but without success.{{sfn|Ellis|2004|pp=255–61}} He became an even more committed Federalist. He vocally supported the [[Alien and Sedition Acts]] and convinced Federalist [[John Marshall]] to run for Congress to weaken the Jeffersonian hold on [[Virginia]].{{sfn|Flexner|1974|p=386}}
[[File:Life of George Washington, Deathbed.jpg|left|thumb| alt=WashingtonWasington ona hishalálos deathbed,ágyán with doctors and family surrounding|''Washington on his Deathbed''<br />[[(Junius Brutus Stearns ]] képe, 1799]] ▼1799. december 12-én Washington hóesésben, havas esőben lovagolta végig farmjait. Késve érkezett haza és nem akarván várakoztatni vacsoravendégeit, nem öltözött át nedves ruháiból. Másnapra megfájdult a torka, de ennek ellenére kiment a hóesásbe, hogy megjelölje a kivágandó fákat. Estére mellkasszorulásra panaszkodott, másnap reggel pedig begyulladt a torka és nehezen kapott levegőt. Utasította intézőjét, hogy vágjon eret rajta és eressze le egy pintet (0,47 l) a véréből. Három orvost is hívtak hozzá, akik további érvágást javasoltak, összesen 5 pintet engedve ki belőle, de az elnök állapota gyorsan romlott. Haldoklása közben lelkére kötötte titkárának, Tobias Learnek, hogy várjanak három napot a temetésével, mert félt, hogy élve kerül a sírba.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=808}} A titkár szerint 1799. december 14-én este 10 és 11 között békésen halt meg. Rajta kívül felesége, Martha is ott volt a halála pillanatában. Ezek voltak utolsó szavai "Hát jó" ('Tis well). Hatvanhét éves volt.{{sfn|Flexner|1974|1pp=401–402|Chernow|2010|2pp=808–809}}
[[File:GeorgeWashingtonByRobertField.jpg|thumb|upright| [[Portrait miniature|Miniature]] of George Washington byminiatúra [[Robert Fieldarcképe ( painter)|Robert Field ]], (1800)]] ▼
Halálhírére a kongresszus azonnal felfüggesztette az ülésezést, másnap pedig fekete lepellel borították be a kongresszus elnökének székét.{{sfn|Irving|1857|p=359}} A temetésre négy nappal halála után, 1799. december 18-án került sor, Mount Vernon-ban.
Washington grew restless in retirement, prompted by tensions with France, and he wrote to Secretary of War [[James McHenry]] offering to organize President Adams' army.{{sfn|Randall|1997|p=497}} In a continuation of the [[French Revolutionary Wars]], French privateers began seizing American ships in 1798, and relations deteriorated with France and led to the "[[Quasi-War]]". Without consulting Washington, Adams nominated him for a lieutenant general commission on July 4, 1798 and the position of commander-in-chief of the armies.{{sfnm|Flexner|1974|1pp=376–377|Bell|1992|2p=64}} Washington chose to accept, replacing [[James Wilkinson]],{{sfn|Bell|1992|p=64}} and he served as the commanding general from July 13, 1798 until his death 17 months later. He participated in planning for a provisional army, but he avoided involvement in details. In advising McHenry of potential officers for the army, he appeared to make a complete break with Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans: "you could as soon scrub the blackamoor white, as to change the principles of a profest Democrat; and that he will leave nothing unattempted to overturn the government of this country."{{sfn|Fitzpatrick|1936|loc=vol. 36|p=474}} Washington delegated the active leadership of the army to Hamilton, a major general. No army invaded the United States during this period, and Washington did not assume a field command.{{sfnm|Kohn|1975|1pp=225–42|Grizzard|2005|2p=264}}
Congress immediately adjourned for the day upon news of Washington's death, and the Speaker's chair was shrouded in black the next morning.{{sfn|Irving|1857|p=359}} The funeral was held four days after his death on December 18, 1799, at Mount Vernon, where his body was interred. Cavalry and foot soldiers led the procession, and six colonels served as the pallbearers. The Mount Vernon funeral service was restricted mostly to family and friends.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|pp=808–810}} Reverend Thomas Davis read the funeral service by the vault with a brief address, followed by a ceremony performed by various members of Washington's Masonic lodge in [[Alexandria, Virginia]].{{sfn|Irving|1857|pp=374–375}} Congress chose [[Henry Lee III|Light-Horse Harry Lee]] to deliver the eulogy. Word of his death traveled slowly; church bells rang in the cities, and many places of business closed.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|pp=810–811}} People worldwide admired Washington and were saddened by his death, and memorial processions were held in major cities of the United States. Martha wore a black mourning cape for one year, and she burned their correspondence to protect their privacy. Only five letters between the couple are known to have survived: two from Martha to George and three from him to her.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=814}} ▼
Washington was thought to be rich because of the well-known "glorified façade of wealth and grandeur" at Mount Vernon,{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=708}} but nearly all his wealth was in the form of land and slaves rather than ready cash. To supplement his income he erected a [[:File:George Washington's Distillery.JPG|distillery]] for substantial whiskey production.{{sfnm|Hirschfeld|1997|1pp=44–45|Ferling|2009|2p=351}} Historians estimate that the estate was worth about $1{{nbsp}}million in 1799 dollars,{{sfnm|1a1= Dalzell|1a2=Dalzell|1y=1998|1p=219}} {{Inflation|US|1000000|1800|fmt=eq|r=-3}}. He bought land parcels to spur development around the new [[Washington, D.C.|Federal City]] that was named in his honor, and he sold individual lots to middle-income investors rather than multiple lots to large investors, believing they would more likely commit to making improvements.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|pp=704–705}}
=== Final days and death ===
<!-- linked from redirect "Death of George Washington" -->
▲[[File:Life of George Washington, Deathbed.jpg|left|thumb|alt=Washington on his deathbed, with doctors and family surrounding|''Washington on his Deathbed''<br />[[Junius Brutus Stearns]] 1799]]
On December 12, 1799, Washington inspected his farms on horseback in snow and sleet. He returned home late for dinner but refused to change out of his wet clothes, not wanting to keep his guests waiting. He had a sore throat the following day but again went out in freezing, snowy weather to mark trees for cutting. That evening, he complained of chest congestion, but was still cheerful. On Saturday, he awoke to an inflamed throat and difficulty breathing, so he ordered estate overseer George Rawlins to [[bloodletting|remove nearly a pint of his blood]], bloodletting being a common practice of the time. His family summoned Doctors [[James Craik]], [[Gustavus Richard Brown]], and [[Elisha C. Dick]].{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1pp=806–10|Morens|1999|2pp=1845–1849}} ([[William Thornton|Dr. William Thornton]] arrived some hours after Washington died.){{sfn|"Death Defied"}}
Dr. Brown thought Washington had [[Peritonsillar abscess|quinsy]]; Dr. Dick thought the condition was a more serious "violent inflammation of the throat".{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1pp=806–807|Lear|1799|2p=257}} They continued the process of bloodletting to approximately five pints, and Washington's condition deteriorated further. Dr. Dick proposed a [[tracheotomy]], but the others were not familiar with that procedure and therefore disapproved.{{sfnm|1a1=Chernow|1y=2010|1pp=806–10|2a1=Felisati|2a2=Sperati|2y=2005|2pp=55–58}} Washington instructed Brown and Dick to leave the room, while he assured Craik, "Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go."{{sfn|Ellis|2004|p=269}}
Washington's death came more swiftly than expected.{{sfn|Ferling|2009|p=365}} On his deathbed, he instructed his private secretary [[Tobias Lear]] to wait three days before his burial, out of fear of being entombed alive.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=808}} According to Lear, he died peacefully between 10 and 11 p.m. on December 14, 1799, with Martha seated at the foot of his bed. His last words were "'Tis well", from his conversation with Lear about his burial. He was 67.{{sfnm|Flexner|1974|1pp=401–402|Chernow|2010|2pp=808–809}}
▲[[File:GeorgeWashingtonByRobertField.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Portrait miniature|Miniature]] of George Washington by [[Robert Field (painter)|Robert Field]] (1800)]]
▲Congress immediately adjourned for the day upon news of Washington's death, and the Speaker's chair was shrouded in black the next morning.{{sfn|Irving|1857|p=359}} The funeral was held four days after his death on December 18, 1799, at Mount Vernon, where his body was interred. Cavalry and foot soldiers led the procession, and six colonels served as the pallbearers. The Mount Vernon funeral service was restricted mostly to family and friends.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|pp=808–810}} Reverend Thomas Davis read the funeral service by the vault with a brief address, followed by a ceremony performed by various members of Washington's Masonic lodge in [[Alexandria, Virginia]].{{sfn|Irving|1857|pp=374–375}} Congress chose [[Henry Lee III|Light-Horse Harry Lee]] to deliver the eulogy. Word of his death traveled slowly; church bells rang in the cities, and many places of business closed.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|pp=810–811}} People worldwide admired Washington and were saddened by his death, and memorial processions were held in major cities of the United States. Martha wore a black mourning cape for one year, and she burned their correspondence to protect their privacy. Only five letters between the couple are known to have survived: two from Martha to George and three from him to her.{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=814}}
The diagnosis of Washington's illness and the immediate cause of his death have been subjects of debate since the day he died. The published account of Drs. Craik and Brown{{efn|The first account of Washington's death was written by Doctors Craik and Brown, published in ''The Times'' of Alexandria five days after his death on December 19, 1799. The complete text can be found in ''The Eclectic Medical Journal'' (1858){{sfnm|1a1=Newton|1a2=Freeman|1a3=Bickley|1y=1858|1pp=273–274}}}} stated that his symptoms had been consistent with ''cynanche trachealis'' (tracheal inflammation), a term of that period used to describe severe inflammation of the upper windpipe, including quinsy. Accusations have persisted since Washington's death concerning medical malpractice, with some believing he had been bled to death.{{sfnm|Chernow|2010|1pp=806–10|2a1=Felisati|2a2=Sperati|2y=2005|2pp=55–58}} Various modern medical authors have speculated that he died from a severe case of [[epiglottitis]] complicated by the given treatments, most notably the massive blood loss which almost certainly caused [[hypovolemia|hypovolemic shock]].{{sfn|Chernow|2010|p=809}}{{efn|Modern experts have concluded that Washington probably died from acute bacterial epiglottitis complicated by the administered treatments, including Morens and Wallenborn in 1999,{{sfnm|Wallenborn|1999|Morens|1999|2pp=1845–1849}} Cheatham in 2008, {{sfn|Cheatham|2008}} and Vadakan in 2005.{{sfn|Vadakan|2005}} These treatments included multiple doses of [[Mercury(I) chloride|calomel]] (a cathartic or purgative) and extensive bloodletting.}}
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