Department of State and Related Foreign Affairs Agencies.
By Jason Clingerman In June 1954, Guatemalan president Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán was overthrown in a coup that was orchestrated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and carried out by the Guatemalan exile Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas. Arbenz was targeted in large part because of his land reform policies that affected U.S. companies, namely the United … Continue reading The CIA in Guatemala
Today's post is written by Ashby Crowder. A few days ago the Washington Post ran a story about the recent closing of the Voice of America’s (VOA) Croatian language radio broadcast service. If you’re interested in the history of Voice of America in the former Yugoslavia, the National Archives at College Park has some records … Continue reading Croatia and the Voice of America
By David Langbart The Great Depression had a serious negative impact on the situation of American diplomatic and consular officials overseas. As the end of the first year of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency drew near, the President sent the following note to Secretary of State Cordell Hull: MEMORANDUM FROM … Continue reading Presidential greetings, c. 1933
Today's post is written by David Langbart, a senior processing archivist in College Park. Sometimes records long thought to be lost find their way home. One such occurrence took place recently. The U.S. embassy in Germany received from the German government some files from the U.S. consulate in Dresden. The records had been found among … Continue reading Records Lost and Found, or, Dresden on the Eve of Destruction
Today's post is written by Alfie Paul, a processing archivist at Archives II. On July 20, 1969 the world watched as the first human beings landed on the moon. That day 42 years ago was the culmination of a race to the moon that President John F. Kennedy began in 1961 saying he believed “that … Continue reading One Small Step
By Alfie Paul In honor of the passing of former First Lady Betty Ford, we thought we would find her in the records. Obviously, there is more to be found in the Ford Presidential Library but she can be found in our corner of NARA as well. Elizabeth Ann Bloomer Warren Ford, Betty, was First Lady … Continue reading RIP Betty Ford, April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011
Today’s post is written by Ashby Crowder, a processing archivist who works primarily with civilian records. During a stack inventory project, I came across a small series of records related to the practice of capital punishment in the United States in the late nineteenth century. The series is entitled Governors' Replies to a Circular on … Continue reading 19th Century Capital Punishment
Today’s post is written by archivist David Langbart who works primarily with diplomatic records. Researchers who use Department of State records may be interested to know a bit more about the types of documents used by Foreign Service Posts to communicate with the Department of State. This is the third in a series of postings … Continue reading Foreign Service Friday! The Airgram
Today’s post is written by archivist David Langbart who works primarily with diplomatic records. Researchers who use Department of State records may be interested to know a bit more about the types of documents used by Foreign Service Posts to communicate with the Department of State. This is the second in a series of postings … Continue reading Foreign Service Friday! The Telegram
Today's post is written by archivist David Langbart who works primarily with diplomatic records. Researchers who use Department of State records may be interested to know a bit more about the types of documents used by Foreign Service Posts to communicate with the Department of State. This is the first in a series of postings … Continue reading Foreign Service Friday! The Despatch
