The History of National Secrecy

National secrecy complex only started in the Second World War, says Matthew Yellin. Before then, US did have spies and secrets, but this was typically only in wartime. Abraham Lincoln wanted to release U.S. diplomatic communications almost in real time, he said. He thought that if more people understood what the Union was fighting for, then they would have more support around the world. It actually gave him a big advantage in the information war that ensued.