The Pentagon Papers (document collection)

The Pentagon Papers are a secret government study, officially titled "Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force," released in 1971. They detailed the United States' political and military involvement in Vietnam from the 1940s to the 1960s. The documents revealed that the government had misled the public about the war's progress and the likelihood of success. When they were leaked by Daniel Ellsberg, the resulting controversy sparked a national debate about government transparency, accountability, and the ethics of the Vietnam War, profoundly impacting public opinion and policy regarding U.S. military actions.