U.S. Government Information
- Sheridan Libraries
- Guides
- U.S. Government Information
- Declassified Documents
Declassified Documents and Related Content via Library Databases
- U.S. Declassified Documents Online
U.S. Declassified Documents Online, formerly Declassified Documents Reference System, is the most comprehensive compilation of declassified documents from the executive branch. Includes intelligence studies, policy papers, diplomatic correspondence, cabinet meeting minutes, briefing materials, domestic surveillance and military reports and more.
- Declassified Documents Online: Twentieth Century British Intelligence
Britain began the twentieth century controlling vast regions of the world. Gathering, processing and analyzing information from every corner of the globe during two world wars and the fragile peace that followed was a task that saw the development of a network of agencies and government departments, collecting the raw data of intelligence and funneling it back to Whitehall and the central machinery of government. This resource consists of documents from five UK government departments: Security Service (MI5); The Ministry of Defense: Communications and Intelligence Records; The Special Operations Executive; The Colonial Office: Intelligence and Security Departments; and, The Cabinet Office (CAB).
- Digital National Security Archive
Created by the nongovernmental National Security Archive, this growing collection of meticulously indexed declassified documents provides coverage of U.S. Policy decisions on critical world events.
- Freedom of Information Archive (aka Declassification Engine)
A project of the the History Lab and Columbia University. An open access databases for searching millions of declassified documents acquired via Freedom of Information Act requests.
- Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports, 1941 - 1996
The United States' principal record of political and historical open source intelligence. The Daily Reports contain English translations of news gathered from foreign radio and television broadcasts, news agency transmissions, newspapers, periodicals, and government statements.
- History Vault
- Includes these sub-collections:
- U.S. Military Intelligence Reports, 1911 - 1944
- Office of Strategic Services (OSS), State Department Intelligence and Research Reports 1941 - 1961
Declassified Documents via Government Agency Sites
- Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS)
FRUS is the official documentary history of U.S. foreign policy. Published since 1861 by the Office of the Historian at the U.S. State Department, this ongoing series is comprised of over 450 volumes. Content includes a wide range of historical and declassified materials that chronicle U.S. foreign policy.
- CIA Records Research Tool (CREST)
Organized by topical collection, this full-text database includes routinely declassified CIA materials at least 25 years old along with other documents released by Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
- Department of Energy: OpenNet System
References and selective full-text images of declassified documents released via FOIA requests.
- FBI Records: The Vault
"Includes FBI files that have been released to the public along with content made available via FOIA requests."
- National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency
Declassified satellite imagery.
- National Security Agency (NSA): Historical Releases
- The National Declassification Center
Operated by the National Archives, this source identifies document series released by hundreds of government agency declassification project. Most documents are not online.
- Project on Government Secrecy - Federation of American Scientists
"From 1991 - 2021 the FAS Project on Government Secrecy worked to reduce the scope of government secrecy and to promote public access to government information by seeking national security classification and declassification policies."
- United States Air Force Declassification Office