HistoryAtState
@HistoryAtState

Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State | Comments welcome at history@state.gov. RTs ≠ endorsements. Terms of Use: state.gov/tou

 Washington, D.C., USA
history.state.gov
Joined May 2012
88 Photos and videos
The Office of the Historian @StateDept releases chapters on Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela in Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981–1988, Volume XVI, South America. history.state.gov/historical… @WHAAsstSecty @Reagan_Library #FRUS #FRUSRelease #USHistory #ForeignPolicy #Diplomacy
Volume Cover (red background with gold lettering): Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981-1988, Volume XVI, South America | Seal of the U.S. Department of State | Department of State, Washington

ALT Volume Cover (red background with gold lettering): Foreign Relations of the United States, 1981-1988, Volume XVI, South America | Seal of the U.S. Department of State | Department of State, Washington
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The #FRUS chapter on Venezuela documents the Reagan administration’s approach to U.S.-Venezuelan relations, with records covering arms sales and the state visits of Presidents Luis Herrera Campins and Jaime Lusinchi. See Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, December 4, 1984: history.state.gov/historical… @ReaganLibrary #ForeignPolicy
President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan with President Jaime Lusinchi of Venezuela at the White House State Dinner | Courtesy: National Archives and Records Administration, NAID 75853777

ALT President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan with President Jaime Lusinchi of Venezuela at the White House State Dinner | Courtesy: National Archives and Records Administration, NAID 75853777

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The #FRUS chapter on Uruguay documents the Reagan administration’s support for democratization in Uruguay. Topics include bilateral trade negotiations, U.S. advocacy for structural economic reforms, and the reintegration of the Uruguayan military into civilian society. See Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, June 17, 1986: history.state.gov/historical… @Reagan_Library #ForeignPolicy
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The #FRUS chapter on Paraguay documents the evolution of U.S. policy toward the Stroessner government as it resisted democratization in Paraguay, as well as the Reagan administration’s endorsement of a “3-Ds” policy of drugs, democracy, and derechos humanos in Paraguay. See Telegram from the Embassy in Paraguay to the Department of State, October 28, 1988: history.state.gov/historical… @Reagan_Library #ForeignPolicy
Telegram From the Embassy in Paraguay to the Department of State, October 28, 1988. Full text can be viewed at: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1981-88v16/d413

ALT Telegram From the Embassy in Paraguay to the Department of State, October 28, 1988. Full text can be viewed at: https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1981-88v16/d413
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The #FRUS chapter on Ecuador documents the Reagan administration’s efforts to bolster democracy in Ecuador and increase bilateral cooperation regarding narcotics, terrorism, and economic stabilization. See Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, January 14, 1986: history.state.gov/historical… @Reagan_Library #ForeignPolicy
President Reagan and León Febres Cordero with first ladies Nancy Reagan and María Eugenia Cordovez Pontón in The White House Cross Hall before a State Dinner | Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, NAID 75854553

ALT President Reagan and León Febres Cordero with first ladies Nancy Reagan and María Eugenia Cordovez Pontón in The White House Cross Hall before a State Dinner | Courtesy National Archives and Records Administration, NAID 75854553
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How the world responded to 9/11: The @StateDept has released a collection of condolence letters from nations around the world. The messages expressed shock and outrage, condemned the terrorist acts, and pledged support for the American people. Visit the FOIA Library: foia.state.gov/FOIALIBRARY/S… #NeverForget #September11th #FOIA @Sept11Memorial
Never Forget 9/11 graphic | Courtesy: National Archives, NAID 198243869

ALT Never Forget 9/11 graphic | Courtesy: National Archives, NAID 198243869

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“We all are…by our hearts with you.” Visit the FOIA Library to view the letter from Mongolia and other nations: foia.state.gov/FOIALIBRARY/S…
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“Such a despicable act of terrorism cannot and will not be tolerated by the world community.” Visit the FOIA Library to view the letter from South Korea and other nations: foia.state.gov/FOIALIBRARY/S…
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We honor the lives lost 25 years ago on September 11, 2001. We remember their families, the first responders who ran toward danger, and the resilience of the American people. #NeverForget #September11th
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📊 Spotlight on Thomas Faith, Education Policy Director at @StateDept's Office of the Historian! On June 18, Tom led a guest presentation for the Department's PS311 Data Analysis and Visualization course — walking participants through the visualization of geographic data using the history.state.gov Travels datasets. Turning historical records into powerful data tools — that's diplomacy meeting the digital age. 🗺️💡 #Diplomacy #USHistory #ForeignPolicy #DataVisualization @Stanford
Data visualization image of a map of the world with geographic points generated from the history.state.gov Travels datasets. Image generated by Tom Faith using Stanford University’s Palladio.

ALT Data visualization image of a map of the world with geographic points generated from the history.state.gov Travels datasets. Image generated by Tom Faith using Stanford University’s Palladio.

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Thomas Faith @StateDept highlighted a remarkable 1966 document that framed the future of U.S. space policy as a binary choice: unilateralism or cooperation. Six decades later, that question still shapes how America leads in space. history.state.gov/historical… #FRUS #SpaceDiplomacy #StateDept #HistoricalRecord #USSF
Screenshot of Document 54 titled “Memorandum From the Chairman of the Policy Planning Council (Owen) to the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow).” Document 54 can be read in full in Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXXIV, Energy Diplomacy and Global Issues.

ALT Screenshot of Document 54 titled “Memorandum From the Chairman of the Policy Planning Council (Owen) to the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow).” Document 54 can be read in full in Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXXIV, Energy Diplomacy and Global Issues.
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🚀 Special thanks to Thomas Faith, Education Policy Director at @StateDept's Office of the Historian, for hosting a session on space diplomacy in the FRUS series for the inaugural cohort of U.S. Space Force Regional Space Advisors — alongside State colleagues from NFATC, PM, ET, OES, EAP, EUR, and the Department of War. 🛰️🌍 #FRUS #SpaceDiplomacy #StateDept #HistoricalRecord #USSF #USHistory #ForeignPolicy
Portrait graphic of Historian Thomas Faith with a quote, presented in a blue State Department-inspired watercolor design. Text reads: “Supporting U.S. foreign policy goals by training colleagues to use history effectively in their jobs is the greatest privilege of working here.”—Thomas Faith

ALT Portrait graphic of Historian Thomas Faith with a quote, presented in a blue State Department-inspired watercolor design. Text reads: “Supporting U.S. foreign policy goals by training colleagues to use history effectively in their jobs is the greatest privilege of working here.”—Thomas Faith
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Special thanks to @StateDept's Tom Opstal for briefing interagency FOIA and declassification professionals at a two-day equity recognition training seminar — sharing expertise to strengthen capacity on declassification referrals and FOIA consultations. Collaboration like this keeps the machinery of transparency and accountability running. #FOIA #Declassification #Interagency #USHistory #ForeignPolicy
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💻 At ICEDD 2026, @StateDept's John Powers presented on behalf of Digital History Advisor, Joe Wicentowski, highlighting a new generation of coding tools empowering historians to build custom software/applications for their work. #ICED2026 #DODIS #FRUS #DigitalHistory
A side-by-side image of transcribed text and original FRUS document taken from the ICEDD conference presentation slide deck.

ALT A side-by-side image of transcribed text and original FRUS document taken from the ICEDD conference presentation slide deck.
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📜 At ICEDD 2026, @StateDept's John Powers shared a new approach tested in 2025: publishing individual FRUS chapters as they are cleared for release—rather than waiting for an entire volume. The test case? Western Europe, 1977–1980—a 9-chapter volume covering 12 countries that had been stuck in declassification for 12 years. In August 2025, the Canada, Germany, and Nordic Countries chapters debuted to positive feedback from historians and archivists alike. history.state.gov/historical… #ICEDD2026 #FRUS #DiplomaticHistory
Cover of FRUS 1977–1980, Vol. XXVII, Western Europe. U.S. Department of State seal on dark red background with gold text.

ALT Cover of FRUS 1977–1980, Vol. XXVII, Western Europe. U.S. Department of State seal on dark red background with gold text.
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The Office of the Historian contribution to the 2026 ICEDD joint volume was drawn from the Foreign Relations of the United States volume on European Security, 1969–1976. 🔗 history.state.gov/historical… #ICEDD2026 #FRUS
Cover of FRUS 1969–1976, Volume XXXIX, European Security. U.S. Department of State seal on dark red background with gold text.

ALT Cover of FRUS 1969–1976, Volume XXXIX, European Security. U.S. Department of State seal on dark red background with gold text.
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📚 Every two years, ICEDD publishes a joint volume on a key historical topic—drawing on documents from member archives to examine historical events from the perspectives of the different capitals of the world. Swiss research centre Dodis makes these documents freely accessible worldwide. This year, the @StateDept Office of the Historian contributed historical documents to the joint volume: Geneva, Helsinki, and the Making of the CSCE: International Diplomatic Documents on the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 1969–1975 📖 Explore the volume in #DODIS: diplomatic-documents.org/pro… #ICEDD2026 #USHistory #ForeignPolicy
Book cover image of a packed conference hall, black-and-white photo. Title: Geneva, Helsinki, and the Making of the CSCE. International Diplomatic Documents on the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 1969–1975 (Quaderni di Dodis – fonti, vol. 30)

ALT Book cover image of a packed conference hall, black-and-white photo. Title: Geneva, Helsinki, and the Making of the CSCE. International Diplomatic Documents on the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, 1969–1975 (Quaderni di Dodis – fonti, vol. 30)
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📢 This week, John Powers, Acting Director of the @StateDept Office of the Historian, is participating in the 18th International Conference of Editors of Diplomatic Documents (ICEDD) in Bern, 2–5 September 2026. #ICEDD2026 #DODIS #FRUS #DiplomaticHistory
Logo for 18th International Conference of Editors of Diplomatic Documents, Bern, 2–5 September 2026, with open book icon.

ALT Logo for 18th International Conference of Editors of Diplomatic Documents, Bern, 2–5 September 2026, with open book icon.
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The policy documents selected and published in FRUS give the American people a window into the key decisions that shaped U.S. national security. History. Transparency. Mission. 💪🏛️ #FRUS #Diplomacy @StateDept #HistoricalRecord #USHistory #ForeignPolicy
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The declassification process is the backbone of the Department’s commitment to transparency and accountability. @StateDept declassification professionals conduct research, use declassification guides, and advocate with other agencies to release as much as possible. History is made here.
Blue watercolor-style graphic with declassified files, a federal building, and the quote: "The declassification process is the backbone of the Department's commitment to transparency and accountability."

ALT Blue watercolor-style graphic with declassified files, a federal building, and the quote: "The declassification process is the backbone of the Department's commitment to transparency and accountability."
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