The Pentagon Papers were a classified government report detailing the United States' political and military involvement in Vietnam from 1945 to 1967. The documents revealed that the government had misled the public and Congress about the scope and nature of the conflict, including the escalation of U.S. military actions. In 1971, portions of the Pentagon Papers were leaked to the press by former military analyst Daniel Ellsberg. The publication of these documents sparked a national debate about government transparency and accountability, ultimately leading to a landmark Supreme Court case regarding freedom of the press.