Encyclopedia Entries

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  • Practices

    War Crimes

    The Department of State’s Office of War Crimes Issues advises the Secretary of State and formulates U.S. policy responses to atrocities committed worldwide. It also…

  • Practices

    Water Security

    The scarcity of clean water, essential to all life, is one of the greatest challenges of our time. While issues of water access and sanitation…

  • People

    William Henry Seward

    In 1861, Abraham Lincoln chose his former rival for the Republican presidential nomination Senator William Henry Seward of New York to be his Secretary of State. He served under Lincoln and his successor, Andrew Johnson, until 1869. Although Seward was at times impetuous – shortly after taking office in 1861 he proposed…

  • People

    William Jennings Bryan

    Born in 1860 in Salem, Illinois, William Jennings Bryan graduated from Illinois College in 1881 and from the Union College of Law in 1883. After a brief career in law, Bryan entered Congress as a Representative for Nebraska in 1890 and served until 1895. Upon returning to Nebraska he became an editor…

  • Practices

    Women's Rights

    The Office of Global Women’s Issues represents the Department of State's commitment to women’s rights. Under the direction of the Ambassador for Global Women's Issues, the office works to ensure the political, economic, and social empowerment of women. The office works closely with the Secretary on several fronts: developing strategies with other nations to…

  • Practices

    World Hunger

    The Department of State believes that the most effective food security strategies come from those closest to the problems. In recent months, through the leadership of the…