Heather has a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in special education. She was a public school teacher and administrator for 11 years.
U.S. State Department: Lesson for Kids
Creation of the U.S. State Department
Have you ever gotten into an argument with your friends? If so, you know that it's no fun to be upset with others. Because of this, you probably avoid getting into arguments with them.
The U.S. government is just like you and your friends--it wants to get along with the other countries of the world. Back when the U.S. was first starting out, the Founding Fathers recognized that the U.S. would only be successful if it could work with other countries and be involved in what was going on in the world.
Since the President of the United States already had a lot of responsibilities, it was decided that another group of people within the government would help the president interact with other countries. In 1789, James Madison formed the Department of Foreign Affairs, which would later become the U.S. State Department.
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The leader of this department was called the Secretary of State. Thomas Jefferson became the first Secretary of State in 1790, and this position still exists today. The Secretary of State doesn't answer phones or make copies like you might think. Rather, he or she is responsible for representing the U.S., along with the president, when working with other nations.
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So what does the U.S. State Department do today? Let's find out!
Goals
Just like you have goals, like getting good grades on your report card, the State Department has goals too. First and foremost, the state department is responsible for helping the United States to work with other countries to support:
- Peace
- Prosperity, or wealth
- Justice
- People's rights
When working with other countries, the State Department makes decisions based on what is best for the U.S. and the American people.
Duties
Similar to the way your school is divided into different classrooms, the State Department is organized into different offices. Each office is run by an under secretary who is responsible for overseeing a part of the department's goals.
These offices deal with situations that come up with other countries related to:
- Security
- Defense against missiles and nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons
- Supporting strong governments in other countries
- Protecting the environment
- Science and technology
- Money
- Energy
- Terrorism
Additionally, the State Department works closely with the United Nations, an international organization of countries who meet and work together. The State Department is responsible for supporting U.S. embassies, which house U.S. representatives in other countries. Called diplomats, these people work with the host country to represent the interests and needs of the U.S. and support any Americans living in that country.
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The State Department is in charge of issuing passports, which allow U.S. citizens to travel to other countries. It also issues visas, which give people from other countries permission to travel to the U.S. Just like you need a ticket to get into a movie, these 'tickets' get you in and out of the U.S.
The department also determines if American travelers should be warned of traveling to certain areas. For example, if there is a war happening in a specific country, the State Department may issue a travel warning to let Americans know that it would be dangerous to travel there.
Lesson Summary
The U.S. State Department was created to help the U.S. government work with other countries in world. The Secretary of State is the leader of the State Department. The department has many duties, which are aimed at protecting Americans and keeping peace in the world, including supporting our diplomats and embassies around the world.
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BackU.S. State Department: Lesson for Kids
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