Toward “Thorough, Accurate, and Reliable”: A History of theForeign Relations of the United States Series
- William B. McAllister
- Joshua Botts
- Peter Cozzens
- Aaron W. Marrs
Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.
Printed Edition
March 2015
Toward “Thorough, Accurate, and Reliable” explores the evolution of theForeign Relations of the United States documentary history series from its antecedents in the early republic through the early 21st century implementation of its current mandate, the 1991Foreign Relations statute. This book traces how policymakers and an expanding array of stakeholders translated values like “security,” “legitimacy,” and “transparency” into practice as they debated how to balance the government’s obligation to protect sensitive information with its commitment to openness. Determining the “people’s right to know” has fueled lively discussion for over two centuries, and this work provides important, historically informed perspectives valuable to policymakers and engaged citizens as that conversation continues.
- Epigraph
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Part I: Immediate Accountability, 1790s–1920s
- Part II: Negotiating Responsible Historical Transparency, 1920s to Early 2000s
- Chapter 6: “The Necessary Limitations Upon Open Diplomacy,” 1920–1945
- Chapter 7: “Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fire,” 1945–1957
- Chapter 8: Cold War Normalcy, 1958–1979
- Chapter 9: The Erosion of Transparency, 1978–1985
- Chapter 10: “A Civil War in the Department,” 1986–1990
- Chapter 11: “Thorough, Accurate, and Reliable,” 1990–1991
- Chapter 12: Implementing theFRUS Statute, 1992–2002
- Conclusion
- Acknowledgements
- Terms
- Abbreviations
- Stages in the Creation of aForeign Relations Volume
- Appendix A: HistoricalForeign Relations Timeliness and Production Charts
- Appendix B:FRUS Production Chart, 1861–1935
- Appendix C: SupplementalForeign Relations Submissions, 1869–1914
- Appendix D: Office Heads and Office Symbol Designations, 1919–2014
- Bibliography
- Contributors
- Index
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Ebook editions last updated: March 24, 2015.
FRUS History Resources
Other resources about the history of theForeign Relations of the United States series.
- HAC Meeting Transcript, 1959
- HAC Meeting Transcript, 1958
- HAC Meeting Transcript, 1960
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- AnnualFRUS Production and Timeliness Data(Updated February 1, 2016)
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- Interactive Timeline on Gettysburg and Vicksburg(July 3, 2013)
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- “The Past and Future of theForeign Relations Series” (a discussion at the Washington History Seminar)January 27, 2014
- “Historicizing the Debate about Responsible Transparency: The Past and Future of theForeign Relations of the United States Series” (a panel at the American Historical Association Annual Meeting)January 4, 2014
- “Security versus Transparency as Exemplified Through the History of theForeign Relations of the United States Series” (Panel at the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations Annual Meeting)June 21, 2013
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