Historical Primary Sources: United States: Intelligence Services

Records of the 9/11 Commission housed at the National Archives.

Reels 1-17. Communist Party of the U.S. (File 100 - 3-104) Reel 17. Hoodwink (File 100-446533). Reels 18-20. White hate groups (File 157-9). Reels 21-24. Black nationalist hate groups (File 100-448006). Reels 25-28. New Left (File 100-449698) Reel 28. Socialist Workers Party (File 100-436291) Reel 29. Nationalist groups (Files 105-190209, 100-434445, 105-99938, 105-93124) Reel 30. Special operations (File 105-174254) and Espionage (File 65-69260)
COINTELPRO papers are also digitized at the FBI Vault, but it is not clear whether this site is a duplication of the microfilm.
A second set of COINTELPRO documents is limited only to the documents concerning Black nationalist groups. This material is included in the History Vault module Black Freedom Struggle in the 20th Century: Federal Government Records.

Covers FBI surveillance and investigations of radical political movements, including socialist, communist, and civil rights organizations during the Cold War era.

An online tool developed by the FBI in response to Freedom of Information Act. A selection of files is included, and some of the records are incomplete.

FBI files on surveillance conducted on Black Americans, civil rights organizations, and other institutions.

The reading room consists of documents that are have been made available through various release programs, including the Freedom of Information Act.

Provides online access to collections of documents released under the Freedom of Information Act.

Focuses on the Iran-Contra scandal, documenting covert arms sales to Iran and support for Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Topics include congressional investigations, the Tower Commission, and the role of senior Reagan administration officials. Records provide insights into the controversy over presidential power and accountability.

The complete report, released by the National Archives, consists of approximately 7000 pages. This release includes all the supplemental back-documentation and the complete account of peace negotiations.

A collection of more than 5 million pages of assassination-related records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings, and artifacts. Most of the records are open for research.

Offers intelligence reports from the U.S. military on global developments leading up to and during World War II. Topics include political movements, foreign military activities, and economic conditions.

This collection includes documents relating to MKULTRA as well as its predecessors, Project BLUEBIRD and Project ARTICHOKE, and its various sister projects and successors, including MKNAOMI, MKDELTA and MKSEARCH. It also contains records relating to investigations into the CIA’s mind control program, both by the Agency itself and Congress, during the mid to late 1970s.

This collection examines the evolution of U.S. electronic surveillance practices, from early Cold War programs to the revelations by Edward Snowden. Documents include NSA operational records, intelligence analyses, and policy debates over privacy and national security, revealing the complexities of electronic espionage across decades.

Provides a comprehensive record of the NSA’s history, mission, and intelligence activities. Topics include cryptographic developments, communications monitoring, and the agency’s role in major conflicts like the Cold War and post-9/11 operations. The documents also reveal internal challenges and oversight issues within this secretive organization.

Covers the structure and activities of U.S. intelligence agencies during the Cold War and beyond. Topics include interagency coordination, performance evaluations, and organizational changes. Records include manuals, directives, and reports obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, providing a broad view of U.S. intelligence operations.

Focuses on the development and operations of the U.S. intelligence community during the Cold War. Documents include internal directives, agency histories, and intelligence analyses. The collection highlights the bureaucratic and strategic complexities underlying U.S. intelligence efforts during a period of intense geopolitical competition.

Examines the reorganization and operational shifts within the U.S. intelligence community following the September 11 attacks. Documents cover topics such as counterterrorism strategies, interagency cooperation, and legal changes, reflecting the challenges and transformations in intelligence work during the War on Terror.

Contains CIA reports on communist movements in China and Eastern Europe, focusing on U.S. intelligence strategies during the Cold War. Topics include political developments, espionage, and ideological conflicts.

Explores the management and execution of CIA covert operations from the Carter to Obama administrations. Documents include declassified intelligence reports, operational plans, and congressional records. Topics cover interventions in Central America, counterterrorism strategies post-9/11, and covert actions in the Middle East, shedding light on U.S. foreign policy's secretive aspects.

Focuses on investigations into U.S. intelligence agencies during a period of heightened scrutiny following revelations of abuses. Records detail congressional inquiries, the Rockefeller Commission, and media disclosures. The collection offers insights into intelligence oversight reforms and how agencies like the CIA navigated this challenging period of accountability.

Documents CIA operations under Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, including the Bay of Pigs invasion, efforts to destabilize foreign governments, and covert actions during the Vietnam War. The set includes intelligence reports, internal deliberations, and operational records, offering a detailed view of the agency’s global activities during this era.

Covers clandestine CIA activities authorized during Eisenhower's presidency, including the 1953 coup in Iran, Tibetan resistance, and operations in Cuba and the Congo. The collection includes internal reports, planning documents, and operational analyses, highlighting the agency's role in advancing U.S. Cold War objectives.

This online reading room includes documents made available through the Freedom of Information Act and other CIA release programs.

This series includes charts, graphs, correspondence, memorandums, reports, and printed materials and is comprised of four subseries. The Central Intelligence Files subseries consists mostly of daily summaries of the military situation in Korea from June 1950 to January 1953, with references to political and economic issues, cease-fire negotiations, and communist propaganda.

Includes intelligence and research reports from the OSS and State Department. Topics cover espionage, foreign policy, and Cold War dynamics in the aftermath of World War II.

Covers U.S. responses to international terrorism from the El Al hijacking in 1968 through the aftermath of 9/11. Topics include Middle East extremism, U.S. counterterrorism strategies, and intelligence assessments. The collection provides a comprehensive view of how terrorism shaped U.S. foreign and security policy over decades.

Contains daily intelligence briefings provided to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Topics include the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam War, and U.S.-Soviet relations. These records offer insights into how intelligence shaped presidential decisions during a transformative period in U.S. history.

Presents top-secret intelligence reports prepared daily for Presidents Nixon and Ford. Topics include détente with the Soviet Union, China’s opening, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. These briefings offer a window into how intelligence informed high-stakes decisions during critical moments of the Cold War.

Covers U.S.-Russia relations from the Soviet Union's collapse to the early Putin era. Documents include presidential communications, diplomatic memos, and intelligence reports. Topics include nuclear disarmament, NATO expansion, Chechnya conflicts, and U.S. efforts to navigate post-Cold War dynamics with an emerging Russian state.