The World Reacts to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Again.

In the aftermath of the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln on April 14, 1865, the Department of State received a cascade of condolences and expressions of grief from around the world.  Those messages came from government officials, major institutions, newspapers, and private citizens.  Subsequently, the Department published those communications as an appendix to the then-new … Continue reading The World Reacts to the Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Again.

Berlin Reacts to the Assassination of John F. Kennedy

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. After President John F. Kennedy's triumphant June 1963 visit to West Berlin to show support for that city and his famous proclamation "Ich bin ein Berliner," it should not be surprising that citizens of … Continue reading Berlin Reacts to the Assassination of John F. Kennedy

The Department of State and the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy: Keeping the Field Informed

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. Even though American Foreign Service Officers overseas received the news about the tragic events in Dallas through public media, the Department of State had the responsibility to provide its posts with official updates.  Consequently, … Continue reading The Department of State and the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy: Keeping the Field Informed

Receiving Notification of President Kennedy’s Shooting: November 1963

Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. On November 22, 1963, Secretary of State Dean Rusk was aboard a U.S. Air Force plane over the Pacific Ocean.  He was leading a delegation of Cabinet officials to Japan to meet with their … Continue reading Receiving Notification of President Kennedy’s Shooting: November 1963

The CIA in Guatemala

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