FOIA'd documents are those released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) website, Dept. of State
Freedom of Information Act Electronic Reading Room, CIA
FOIA.gov
Here you can search "agencies’ websites to see what is already publicly available online", collect data about FOIA requests, or make a FOIA request.
FOIA Libraries, Lisa DeLuca, University Libraries, Seton Hall. A list of over 3000 FOIA libraries and repositories.
Department of State. See also Major State Department Publications.
Index to United States documents relating to foreign affairs, 1828-1861, Adelaide R. Hasse, 1914-1921 (print and online)
Main Ref Z1223.Z7 H2
U.S. foreign relations materials in the pre-1861 U.S. Congressional Serial Set, U.S. Dept. of State
First published 1861 under the title Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States.
"Presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. [...] The volumes published over the last two decades increasingly contain declassified records from all the foreign affairs agencies. [...] 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." Volumes begin with materials with content from 1861. Expect modern content to be published with a significant time-lag. Best Bet
Some FRUS volumes are published in the U.S. Congressional Serial Set. See:
For more information, see: Toward "Thorough, Accurate, and Reliable": A History of the Foreign Relations of the United States Series, William B. McAllister, Joshua Botts, Peter Cozzens, and Aaron W. Marrs, U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian, 2015.
"Supplemental Foreign Relations Submissions, 1869–1914", pp. 348-359. "Collections of diplomatic correspondence (called reports from the Secretary of State) that the Department of State submitted to Congress in response to specific requests, and which Congress in turn printed as Senate or House Executive Documents, House or Senate Miscellaneous Reports, or House or Senate Reports (Supplemental FRUS Submissions)." Includes more than 16,000 pages.
These documents typically include foreign policy messages, addresses, statements, interviews, press briefings, press conferences, press releases, congressional testimony by the executive branch of the U.S. Government, and similar materials. Declassified materials are usually not included.
Peace and war: United States foreign policy, 1931-1941 (print and online)
Govt Doc S 1.2: P 31/8
Documents on American foreign relations
1938-1970
Main Libr JX231 .D6
The Department of State bulletin (online)
1939-1989, with gaps
The Department of State bulletin
v.1-89, 1939-1989
Main Periodical
Addresses, news conferences of President and Secretary of State, testimony before Congress, press releases, etc.
A Decade of American foreign policy: basic documents, 1941-1949 (print and online)
Govt Doc S 1.69:415
In quest of peace and security: selected documents on American foreign policy, 1941-1951
(print, online)
Govt Doc S 1.71:53
Documents and state papers (print, online)
Main Periodical, v. 1, 1948-1949
American foreign policy: basic documents, 1950-1955 (print, online), HathiTrust)
Govt Doc S 1.71:117
American foreign policy: current documents (print, online)
Govt Doc S 1.71/2: (1956-1967)
Govt Micro S 1.71/2-2: (1982-1983, press briefings 1984-1989)
"The principal public foreign policy messages, addresses, statements, interviews, press briefings and conferences, and congressional testimony by the executive branch of the U.S. Government."
Foreign Policy Briefs
Main Periodical
v. 8-18, 1959-1969
United States Foreign Policy: A Report of the Secretary of State
1969-1970: Govt Doc S 1.71:254 (print and online)
1971: Govt Doc S 1.71:260
1972: Govt Doc S 1.71:274
"A comprehensive record of the events and policies" of the year.
American foreign policy: basic documents, 1977-1980 (print, online)
Govt Doc S 1.69:346
American foreign policy: current documents
Govt Doc S 1.71/2:
1981-1991
via HathiTrust (online)
1956-1990 (with gaps)
via HeinOnline
1956-1991 (with gaps)
"The principal public foreign policy messages, addresses, statements, interviews, press briefings and conferences, and congressional testimony by the executive branch of the U.S. Government."
U.S. foreign affairs on CD-ROM (online)
Govt Doc S 1.142/2: (CD-ROM)
1990-1998
Includes speeches, US Department of State dispatch and its supplement issues; current Background Notes for all countries; daily press briefings for 1991; reports submitted to Congress; current regional maps from the Office of the Geographer; etc.
US Department of State dispatch (online)
US Department of State dispatch
v.1-10, 1990-99
Main Periodical (shelved as an acronym at the beginning of U)
Dept. of State Central Foreign Policy Files, including telegrams, from the National Archives and Records Administration
U.S. foreign policy agenda
1996-2007 (with gaps)
Provides "statements of U.S. policy together with analysis, commentary, and background information" in thematic areas.
A-Z List of Country and Other Area Pages
Country reports on human rights practices (print and online)
1979-
U.S. participation in the UN (print and online)
Govt Doc S 1.70/8:
Voting Practices in the United Nations (print and online)
1985- (with gaps)
Various formats.
"Statistically measures the voting of UN member states" at each session "in comparison with the U.S. voting record".
Area Handbooks
for many countries. Search our catalog for our holdings.
U.S. Congressional Serial Set
especially the American State Papers. Includes both congressional and executive branch documents.
National security instruments
Sources for hard-to-find documents issued by the National Security Council and signed or authorized by the President.
Microform sets relating to foreign policy held at Bowdoin Library.
Executive sessions of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Govt Doc Y 4.F76/2:Ex3/2/v.1-19
covers 1947-1967
Historical Series
Govt Doc Y 4.F76/1:H62/v.9-21 (only 1951-1960 in print)
covers 1943-1960
"Based on transcripts of hearings in executive sessions of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs [...] dealing with subjects of historical interest." Bowdoin Library does not hold volumes 1-8, 1943-, in print, but they should be available through ProQuest Congressional.
Legislation on foreign relations through ... (print and online)
U.S. Congressional Serial Set
especially the American State Papers, covering covering 1789-1838. Includes both congressional and executive branch documents. Hint: Choose "Archive of Americana" to access the American State Papers.
ProQuest Congressional
Use to find more congressional documents on U.S. foreign policy.
Foreign Policy Bulletin: an analysis of current international events, 1940-1961
"major speeches, statements, public reports, and public remarks from U.S. officials; excerpts from Congressional debates; and relevant texts and reports from international organizations"
National Security Archive, George Washington University
"Founded in 1985 by journalists and scholars to check rising government secrecy, the National Security Archive combines a unique range of functions: investigative journalism center, research institute on international affairs, library and archive of declassified U.S. documents [...], leading non-profit user of the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, public interest law firm defending and expanding public access to government information, global advocate of open government, and indexer and publisher of former secrets."
Homeland Security Digital Library, Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security
"Over 124,900 documents related to homeland security policy, strategy, and organizational management from a wide variety of sources including federal, state and local governments; international governments and institutions; nonprofit organizations and private entities."
The Digital National Security Archive consists of declassified government documents, chronologies, images, bibliographies, and explanatory essays on topics related to national security from post-World War II to the present.
Fulltext of previously classified government documents from the National Security Council, the CIA, the FBI, and Joint Chiefs of Staff papers, among others.
Electronic Briefing Books, National Security Archive, The George Washington University
"Provide timely online access to critical declassified records on issues including U.S. national security, foreign policy, diplomatic and military history, intelligence policy, and much more."
CREST: 25-Year Program Archive, (the CIA Records Search Tool)
"Publicly accessible repository of the subset of CIA records reviewed under the 25-year program in electronic format (manually reviewed and released records are accessioned directly into the National Archives in their original format)."
Other Free Resources for Finding Declassified Documents, Library of Congress
