Celebrating America ’s Freedoms is a collection of stories about some of America ’s most beloved customs and national symbols. Topics include the history of "Taps," the Pledge of Allegiance, gun salutes, the correct method for displaying and folding the American flag and many more. Educators, students and others should find this collection informative and helpful when researching or planning activities for national observances such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Flag Day.
The Center for the Study of Intelligence: Conducts research on intelligence; Publishes classified and unclassified editions of the Studies in Intelligence journal as well as books, monographs and a newsletter; Hosts conferences and symposia; Coordinates a number of academic outreach programs.
The Central Intelligence Agency publishes and updates the online directory of Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments weekly. The directory is intended to be used primarily as a reference aid and includes as many governments of the world as is considered practical, some of them not officially recognized by the United States. Regimes with which the United States has no diplomatic exchanges are indicated by the initials NDE.
The CIA has established this site to provide the public with an overview of access to CIA information, including electronic access to previously released documents. Because of CIA's need to comply with the national security laws of the United States, some documents or parts of documents cannot be released to the public. In particular, the CIA, like other U.S. intelligence agencies, has the responsibility to protect intelligence sources and methods from disclosure. However, a substantial amount of CIA information has been and/or can be released following review. See "Your Rights" for further details on the various methods of obtaining this information.
"To know where you're going, you have to know where you came from and where you've been. The history of intelligence dates back to early times and offers a treasure trove of stories, people, and events. Read about some famous (and a few not so famous) people and the role they played in the history of intelligence."
CIA Maps & Publications
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/cia-maps-publications/index.html
Community 2020
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cio/c2020/index.cfm
"Community 2020: A New Future for the American City is a year-long seminar series to explore a 21st century agenda for America's communities. "
"The issues of emancipation and military service were intertwined from the onset of the Civil War. News from Fort Sumter set off a rush by free black men to enlist in U.S. military units. They were turned away, however, because a Federal law dating from 1792 barred Negroes from bearing arms for the U.S. army (although they had served in the American Revolution and in the War of 1812). In Boston disappointed would-be volunteers met and passed a resolution requesting that the Government modify its laws to permit their enlistment. "
"Tension has existed between the legislative and the executive branches of the U.S. government over war powers since the Constitution simultaneously vested Congress with the power to declare war and the President with the power of Commander in Chief. Although Jefferson insisted on congressional approval before sending troops into combat, later Presidents have not felt bound by this precedent. Their alternate view was boosted by the Supreme Court in 1827 in the case Martin v. Mott. The Court ruled that it was constitutional for Congress to vest the president with the discretionary authority to decide whether an emergency had arisen and to raise a militia to meet such a threat of invasion or civil insurrection. Nonetheless, in the winter of 1845-46, as relations between the United States and Mexico deteriorated, there was no express delineation of powers between the two branches."
Of all documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the United States Federal government, only 1%-3% are so important for legal or historical reasons that they are kept by us forever.
Those valuable records are preserved and are available to you, whether you want to see if they contain clues about your family’s history, need to prove a veteran’s military service, or are researching an historical topic that interests you.
"The Air Force History Support Office (AFHSO) at Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. is responsible for writing books, monographs, studies, and reports to preserve the history of the U.S. Air Force. The AFHSO also provides historical information, analysis, and perspective to Air Force leaders and their staffs to support planning, policy development, and decision making. In conjunction with the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA) at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, which is the primary repository of historical information, our office responds to requests for information from private organizations, government agencies, and the general public."