About the Foreign Relations Series - Historical Documents

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</li> <li class="dropdown"> <a href="/about" shape="rect"> <span>About Us</span> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <div class="hsg-main"> <section class="hsg-grid hsg-main-inner"> <div class="container hsg-main-content"> <main id="content"> <div class="hidden" id="static-title">About the Foreign Relations Series - Historical Documents</div> <div class="row"> <nav class="hsg-breadcrumb hsg-breadcrumb--wrap" aria-label="breadcrumbs"> <ol vocab="http://schema.org/" typeof="BreadcrumbList" class="hsg-breadcrumb__list"> <li class="hsg-breadcrumb__list-item" property="itemListElement" typeof="ListItem"><a href="/" class="hsg-breadcrumb__link" property="item" typeof="WebPage"><span>Home</span></a></li> <li class="hsg-breadcrumb__list-item" property="itemListElement" typeof="ListItem"><a href="/historicaldocuments" class="hsg-breadcrumb__link" property="item" typeof="WebPage"><span>Historical Documents</span></a></li> <li class="hsg-breadcrumb__list-item" property="itemListElement" typeof="ListItem"><a href="/historicaldocuments/about-frus" class="hsg-breadcrumb__link" property="item" typeof="WebPage" aria-current="page"><span>About the <em>Foreign Relations</em> Series</span></a></li> </ol> </nav> </div> <div class="row hsg-main"> <div class="hsg-width-two-thirds" data-template="app:fix-links"> <div id="content-inner"> <h1>About the <em>Foreign Relations of the United States</em> Series</h1> <p>The <em>Foreign Relations of the United States</em> series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. The series, which is produced by the Department of State's Office of the Historian, <a href="/historicaldocuments/frus-history">began in 1861</a> and now comprises more than 450 individual volumes. The volumes published over the last two decades increasingly contain declassified records from all the foreign affairs agencies.</p> <p> <em>Foreign Relations</em> volumes contain documents from Presidential libraries, Departments of State and Defense, National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency, Agency for International Development, and other foreign affairs agencies as well as the private papers of individuals involved in formulating U.S. foreign policy. In general, the editors choose documentation that illuminates policy formulation and major aspects and repercussions of its execution. Volumes published during the last three decades have expanded the scope of the series by including documents from a wider range of government agencies, particularly those involved with intelligence activity and covert actions.</p> <p>Volumes in the series since 1952 are organized chronologically according to Presidential administrations, and geographically and topically within each subseries: 65 volumes cover the <a href="/historicaldocuments/nixon-ford">Nixon and Ford administrations</a> (1969-1976), 32 cover the <a href="/historicaldocuments/carter">Carter administration</a> (1977-1980), and about 49 are scheduled for the <a href="/historicaldocuments/reagan">Reagan administration</a> (1981-1988). Volumes on the George H.W. Bush administration are now being <a href="/historicaldocuments/status-of-the-series">researched, annotated, and prepared for publication</a>.</p> <p>Volumes may be purchased through the <a href="https://bookstore.gpo.gov/catalog/foreign-relations-united-states-series-frus">U.S. Government Publishing Office</a> (202-512-1800). Recent volumes are also available <a href="/historicaldocuments/">online</a>. For further information please <a href="/about/contact-us">contact the Office of the Historian</a>.</p> </div> </div> <div class="hsg-width-sidebar"> <aside class="hsg-aside--static"> <div class="hsg-panel" data-template="app:fix-links"> <div class="hsg-panel-heading"> <h2 class="hsg-sidebar-title">Administrations</h2> </div> <div class="hsg-panel-body"> <p>Browse official documents from the <em>Foreign Relations of the United States</em> series.</p> </div> <div class="hsg-panel-heading-second-level"> <h3 class="hsg-sidebar-title-second-level">Recent Administrations</h3> </div> <ul class="hsg-list-group"> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"> <a href="/historicaldocuments/kennedy">Kennedy Administration</a> </li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"> <a href="/historicaldocuments/johnson">Johnson Administration</a> </li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"> <a href="/historicaldocuments/nixon-ford">Nixon-Ford Administrations</a> </li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"> <a href="/historicaldocuments/carter">Carter Administration</a> </li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"> <a href="/historicaldocuments/reagan">Reagan Administration</a> </li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"> <a href="/historicaldocuments/bush-ghw">Bush Administration</a> </li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"> <a href="/historicaldocuments/clinton">Clinton Administration</a> </li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"> <a href="/historicaldocuments">All Administrations</a> </li> </ul> </div> </aside> <aside id="sections" class="hsg-aside--section"> <div class="hsg-panel"> <div class="hsg-panel-heading"> <h2 class="hsg-sidebar-title">Historical Documents</h2> </div> <ul class="hsg-list-group"> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"><a href="/historicaldocuments/about-frus" aria-current="page"><span>About the <em>Foreign Relations</em> Series</span></a></li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"><a href="/historicaldocuments/status-of-the-series"><span>Status of the <em>Foreign Relations</em> Series</span></a></li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"><a href="/historicaldocuments/frus-history"><span>History of the <em>Foreign Relations</em> Series</span></a></li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"><a href="/historicaldocuments/ebooks"><span><em>Foreign Relations</em> Ebooks</span></a></li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"><a href="/historicaldocuments/other-electronic-resources"><span>Other Electronic Resources</span></a></li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"><a href="/historicaldocuments/guide-to-sources-on-vietnam-1969-1975"><span>Guide to Sources on Vietnam, 1969-1975</span></a></li> <li class="hsg-list-group-item"><a href="/historicaldocuments/citing-frus"><span>Citing the <em>Foreign Relations</em> series</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </aside> </div> </div> </main>  </div> </section> </div> <footer class="hsg-footer" data-template="app:fix-links"> <section class="hsg-grid hsg-footer-top"> <div class="container"> <nav class="row"> <ul class="hsg-footer-list"> <h4>Learn more</h4> 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</nav> </div> </section> <section class="hsg-grid hsg-footer-bottom"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <address class="col-xs-12 col-sm-12 col-md-12"> <h4>Office of the Historian, Foreign Service Institute <br> <a href="https://www.state.gov">United States Department of State</a></h4> <p> <a href="mailto:history@state.gov">history@state.gov</a> </p> <p>Phone: 202-955-0200</p> <p>Fax: 202-955-0268</p> </address> </div> </div> </section> <section class="hsg-grid hsg-footer-nether"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <p><a href="mailto:history@state.gov?subject=Error%20on%20page%20%60%2Fexist%2Fapps%2Fhsg-shell%2Fhistoricaldocuments%2Fabout-frus%60&body=%0D%0A_________________________________________________________%0D%0APlease%20provide%20any%20additional%20information%20above%20this%20line%0D%0A%0D%0ARequested%20URL%3A%0D%0A%09https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.state.gov%2Fexist%2Fapps%2Fhsg-shell%2Fhistoricaldocuments%2Fabout-frus">Report an issue on this page</a></p> </div> </div> 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About the Foreign Relations Series - Historical Documents - Office of the Historian