Defining Documents in American History: America's Influence on Foreign Governments (Part 2) 1960-Present

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Part Two of this series covers America's influence on foreign governments from 1960 to Present.

The material is organized into five sections, each beginning with a brief introduction that examines the importance of the topic through a variety of historical documents.

• Missiles and Misadventures
• Control and Consequences
• The 9/11 Era
• A Rules-Based Order?
• Recent Disruptions

The documents contained within these sections provide an overview of the history and significance of America’s colossal influence on the world stage, from covert CIA operations to current disruptions to the world order.

Eighty-one documents are discussed and analyzed in this two-volume set, including:

• Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation (1961)
• Executive Order 10924--Establishment of the Peace Corps (1961)
• JFK on the Soviet Arms Buildup in Cuba (1962)
• CIA memo on National Liberation Front Methods (1963)
• The Gulf of Tonkin Incident (1964)
• U.S. State Department Telegrams regarding the 1965 Coup in Indonesia (1965)
• LBJ on Limiting the War in Vietnam (1968)
• Nixon on Operations in Cambodia (1970)
• Kissinger Memo regarding Policy toward Chile (1970)
• Letter from President Nixon to Soviet Secretary General Brezhnev (1972)
• Camp David Accords (1978)
• State Department Report--"Next Steps in Argentina" (1979)
• President Ronald Reagan's Remarks on the Attacks in Beirut (1983)
• Able Archer '83: The Soviet "War Scare" (1983)
• Measures to Improve U.S. Posture and Readiness in the Persian Gulf (1984)
• Pakistan's Nuclear Weapons Program and US Security Assistance (1986)
• Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" Speech (1987)
• President Ronald Reagan's Address to the Nation on Iran-Contra (1987)
• George H.W. Bush on the Cessation of the Persian Gulf War (1991)
• North American Free Trade Agreement (1992)
• Osama bin-Laden's Declaration of Jihad against the Americans (1996)
• President George W. Bush's Statement to the Nation on 9/11 (2001)
• National Security Policy of the United States--"The Bush Doctrine" (2002)
• Colin Powell on Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction (2003)
• Order Dissolving Iraqi Military and Security Organizations (2003)
• "Obama to Surge 30,000 Troops in Afghanistan" (2009)
• Transcript of the Trump-Putin Press Conference in Helsinki (2018)
• US-Iran Conflict and Implications for U.S. Policy (2020)
• Bipartisan Backlash to President Biden’s Handling of the Afghanistan Pullout (2021)
• Fact Sheet: Trump Tariffs on Imports from Canada, Mexico, and China (2025)
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) (2026)
• Trump admin launches attack on Venezuela, with capture of Nicolas Madura (2026)
• German Chancellor Merz accuses Trump of demolishing "international order" (2026)
• Selected Trump Statements regarding Cuba (2026)
• Trump Statement on U.S. Attack on Iran. (2026)

Part One of this series covers 1783 to 1960.  Click here for more information on the first two-volume set in this series.

View Part 1 of this Series

The material is organized into curated sections, each beginning with a brief introduction that examines the importance of the topic through a variety of historical documents. The documents contained within these sections provide an overview of the history and significance of each, and the wider ramifications felt not only in regards to the direct actions of the U.S., but how those actions helped shape the modern world. Documents examined include legislation, historical accounts, speeches, agreements, court cases, news articles, and more.

About the Series

The Defining Documents series provides in-depth commentary and analysis on the most important primary source documents in the United States and the world. The Defining Documents series is perfect for students, those researching a particular era, or anyone interested in world history. Visit www.salempress.com for more information about additional titles in this series.

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