Online Resources – US Foreign Policy

US Foreign Policy Crash Course


The National Security Archive

A range of collections of documents, often with chronologies and editorials placing the collections in context and a searchable database of important documents in US policy-making history.


The American Presidency Project

This resource holds a digitized copy of every speech made by a president in the modern era.


The Foreign Relations of the United States

This is an edited collection of documents from each president from Truman – Reagan (with later presidents scheduled to follow). The collections are well arranged in volumes so as to be navigable and comprise selected declassified documents which have been assembled in a way as to paint an ‘official’ US government history of certain issues.


Presidential Libraries

Each president in the modern era has their own library complex that houses their complete archival record for researchers to visit (once the papers have been declassified) and a website that displays selections from that content.

Harry S. Truman: http://www.trumanlibrary.org/photos/av-photo.htm

Dwight Eisenhower: http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/research/online_documents.html

John F. Kennedy http://www.jfklibrary.org/

Lyndon B. Johnson: http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.hom/NSAMs/nsamhom.asp

Richard Nixon: http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/virtuallibrary/

Gerald Ford: http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/docs.asp#Presidency2

Jimmy Carter: http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/documents/

Ronald Reagan: https://reaganlibrary.gov/s-reasearch

George H.W. Bush: https://bush41library.tamu.edu/

Bill Clinton: https://www.clintonlibrary.gov/research/

George W. Bush: https://www.georgewbushlibrary.smu.edu/en/Research.aspx


National Security Strategies

These are produced periodically by US administrations. Originally they were to be produced each year but since the 2000s administrations have tended to produce one per presidential term (every 4 years).

2015 (PDF)
2010 (PDF)

And you can find earlier ones here.


A History of Diplomacy with Madeline Albright


This page is under constant development. If you would like us to add any resources please email your suggestions to links@e-ir.info

Further Reading on E-International Relations

Please Consider Donating

Before you download your free e-book, please consider donating to support open access publishing.

E-IR is an independent non-profit publisher run by an all volunteer team. Your donations allow us to invest in new open access titles and pay our bandwidth bills to ensure we keep our existing titles free to view. Any amount, in any currency, is appreciated. Many thanks!

Donations are voluntary and not required to download the e-book - your link to download is below.