On this day: Reagan gives his farewell address

"My fellow Americans: This is the 34th time I'll speak to you from the Oval Office and the last. We've been together 8 years now, and soon it'll be time for me to go. But before I do, I wanted to share some thoughts, some of which I've been saving for a long time.

It's been the honor of my life to be your President. So many of you have written the past few weeks to say thanks, but I could say as much to you. Nancy and I are grateful for the opportunity you gave us to serve."

So began Ronald Reagan's farewell address to the American people on January 11, 1989, from The Oval Office in the White House.

Reagan spent the majority of his farewell address reflecting on the successes of his time in office. Reagan claimed that during his time in office, with the help of the American people, “We have made a difference.” He goes on to say:

"…there were two great triumphs, two things that I'm proudest of. One is the economic recovery, in which the people of America created -- and filled -- 19 million new jobs. The other is the recovery of our morale."

Reagan went further to explain these claims, and to remind the American people with the proof of what they had experienced. He says:

"Common sense told us that when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it. So, we cut the people's tax rates, and the people produced more than ever before…Our economic program brought about the longest peacetime expansion in our history: real family income up, the poverty rate down, entrepreneurship booming, and an explosion in research and new technology."

Reagan listed the successes of his foreign policy: achieving peace in the Persian Gulf, forcing the Soviets to begin departing from Afghanistan, and negotiating for the withdrawal of Vietnamese troops from Cambodia and Cuban forces from Angola. These efforts were all waged against communism, the ideology that Reagan believed was the main threat to freedom. “Nothing,” he stated, “is less free than pure communism.”

The achievements of his administration gained him much favor with the American public, and Ronald Reagan left office as one of the most popular modern U.S. presidents.

Use this link to read the entire speech.

Or watch the speech on YouTube: