Everyone thinks the Department of Homeland Security (established by the Homeland Security Act by Congress in November 2002), which opened its doors on March 1, 2003, was the beginning of the U.S. focus on homeland security, but nothing can be further from the truth. The U.S. focus on Homeland security started on this day in 1789 when the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs changed its name to the Department of State. The inward focus has continued and progressed since that day while the rest of the world still deals with foreign affairs.