On July 27, 1789, President George Washington signed the law creating the Department of Foreign Affairs, the first Federal executive department created under the new Constitution of the United States. Renamed two months later as the Department of State, today it is responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries. The State Department operates the diplomatic missions of the United States-- including embassies, consulates and the U.S. mission to the United Nations-- and oversees issuance of U.S. passports, visas, and travel advisories for U.S. travelers going abroad.
State is also responsible for implementing the foreign policy of the United States and U.S. diplomacy efforts and is the depositary for more than 200 multilateral treaties.
The State Department publishes many renowned publications on U.S. foreign relations, English teaching, international treaties, foreign travel, human rights reports, and more, including the lauded Foreign Relations of the United States Series (FRUS) as well as magazines such as the highly engaging State Magazine and English Teaching Forum for those who teach English abroad.
