In this letter, George Washington reflects on America’s newly won independence and suggests a path to future success. Washington wrote this letter to the various state governors when he resigned his command of the Continental Army, though he also addressed the general American population. The letter begins by detailing the promising circumstances in which the newly independent country finds itself, leading Washington to remark that the government’s success—or its failure—would send a message to both friends and the enemies of political liberty around the world. Washington suggests several practical steps Americans must take to “seize the occasion and make it our own.” He emphasizes the importance of unifying under a federal government with the power to maintain peace, pay the national debt, provide for national security, and provide pensions to the veterans of the Revolutionary War. Washington’s letter was often reprinted during the debates on the ratification of the United States Constitution because of its defense of a strong federal government.