A Guide to the Council of the Americas NAFTA Collection, 1985-1995

Historical Note

Founded in 1965 by a group of business people led by David Rockefeller, the Council of the Americas (COA) is a business organization that supports free markets and private enterprise in North America. Member companies include businesses in the manufacturing, natural resources, technology, communications, healthcare, and financial industries.

Throughout the early 1990s, COA lobbied for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and was instrumental in its conception and 1994 passage. The agreement was intended to promote economic growth by easing the movement of goods and services between the U. S., Mexico, and Canada. It removed most tariffs and restrictions on trade between the nations and codified a range of agreements regarding telecommunications, intellectual property, mobility of workers, environmental policies, and the trade of agricultural, textiles, and automobiles.

Sources:

Ford, Andréa. “A brief history of NAFTA.” Time, December 30, 2008.

“History.” Council of the Americas. Accessed March 24, 2011.

Scope and Contents

Videotapes, audiocassettes, reports, research, and promotional material compose the Council of the Americas (COA) NAFTA Collection, 1985-1995, documenting COA’s role in the promotion and passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Research contains information on the socioeconomic status of Mexico, U. S. and Mexico border issues, and lobbying information that includes Federal Election Commission profiles of members of Congress and NAFTA’s potential effect on individual states. Other reports include statements and testimony, legislation, and advocacy plans related to NAFTA. Promotional materials produced by COA and other organizations for distribution to members, lawmakers, and others describe the need for NAFTA and their predictions for its success. Additionally, two audiocassettes (1993) contain a speech by U. S. Vice President Al Gore concerning NAFTA and the environment and a recording related to Senate finance, while eight VHS tapes (1992-1993) include promotional films and NAFTA-related material taped from broadcast television, such as a debate between Gore and Ross Perot.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Council of the Americas NAFTA Collection, 1985-1995, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

This collection contains unprocessed materials.

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project, 2009-2011.

Detailed Description of the Papers