Since 1862, it has been tradition in the United States Senate’s to read George Washington’s Farewell Address each Presidents' Day.

Washington’s speech is one of the most famous in history, since the act itself set a precedent for peaceful transition of power that has lasted to this day. Word choice was of utmost importance, which makes it for an interesting case study through the use of a cloud. 

George Washington, September 19, 1796 (Early Republic period)

Of course, a word cloud by itself fails to capture the most important aspect of the speech, meaning. The spatial visualization would be far more compelling if it were to be compared to similar addresses of different time periods.

NYU Professor Drew Conway pulled off just such a feat in the wake of Tucson tragedy, comparing President Obama’s and Sara Palin’s public addresses.

Limitations not withstanding, below are a few other farewell addresses to compare on your own. Interesting to see how the emphasis on certain "timeless" principles fluctuates based on the contemporary challenges and culture norms found within distinct time periods in American history.

Andrew Jackson, March 4, 1987 (Jacksonian Democracy period)

Harry Truman, January 15, 1953 (Depression & World Conflict period)

Ronald Reagan, January 11, 1989 (Social Change & Soviet Relations period)

Bill Clinton, January 18, 2001 (Globalization period)

*Big ups to Wordle.

**Connect with me on Twitter: @MikeLesczinski