Commemorating 150 Years of the
Foreign Relations of the United States Series
The Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions. The series began in 1861 and provides an indispensible resource for all who seek to understand U.S. foreign policy and strategic planning, international relations, economic affairs, and transnational social and cultural developments.
To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Foreign Relations series, the Department of State’s Office of the Historian explored the story behind FRUS to uncover how it became both an invaluable information resource and a leading example of the U.S. Government’s commitment to openness. The FRUS series played an important role during seminal periods in American history, including the Civil War, the Cold War, and the dawn of the post-Cold War era. Visit the webpage, a fact sheet onepager, a videowith U.S. Department of State Historian Ambassador Edward Brynn, and an article in the New York Times explaining the beginning of FRUS.
An Interview with Dr. Aaron Marrs, Office of the Historian
U.S. State Department - December 1, 2011
President Lincoln’s Cottage and the Office of the Historian of the U.S. Department of State hosted a public program to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Foreign Relations of the United State, the flagship publication of the Department's Office of the Historian. Burrus Carnahan, noted Civil War and Lincoln author and scholar, interviewed Dr. Aaron Marrs, Civil War-era specialist with the Office of the Historian, on Marrs’ new research that sheds light on foreign relations in the context of the Civil War. Video part one is available here and part two is available here.
Discussion with Office of Historian Staff Members and
University of Virginia Professors, November 7, 2011
The Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia hosted a discussion between Office of the Historian staff members and University of Virginia professors on how the U.S. Government has historically struggled to balance security imperatives with its commitment to transparency and democratic accountability. Video available onMiller Center website.
A Conversation on the 1955 YaltaForeign Relations Volume
October 12, 2011
The story of the Yalta Foreign Relations of the United States volume is a Cold War tale of partisanship, of sensational global headlines and leaks, and of contentious debates about balancing security and openness ... learn more about the Yalta papers by listeninghere to the discussion, "Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire," at the New York Public Library.