From early explorers to Trump — a history of the transatlantic relationship
Alex Gray, Formative Content
The history of the transatlantic relationship between north America and Europe has been a long and bumpy one. Here are some of the key moments.
1492 and Christopher Columbus
In 1492, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus landed on the shores of the Caribbean and a year later establishes the first, but short-lived, colonial settlement on present-day Haiti.
1607 and Jamestown
More than a century later, the English arrive in what is now Virginia and establish what becomes known as the first permanent English settlement, in Jamestown. The local Paspahegh tribe of Indians appear to have been wiped out within four years, due to conflict with the colonists and likely exposure to new diseases.
Image: virtualjamestown.org
1620 and the origins of Thanksgiving
In 1620 the ship The Mayflower arrived at Plymouth Rock, this time laden with the “Pilgrim Fathers” — men, women and families who had set sail to escape religious persecution from the English King, James I. They are credited with the founding of modern-day America, and their first harvest in 1621 is the origin of Thanksgiving Day, celebrated every year in America on 24th November.
1775 and the War of Independence
By the mid-18th century, cracks had formed in the relationship between America and its “mother country”, England. Two incidents became famous for their part in the outbreak of the War of Independence in 1775: the Boston massacre and the Boston Tea Party.
In March 5, 1770 a squad of British soldiers let loose a volley of shots into a crowd, killing five.
In December 1773, locals protested new taxes on the tea trade imposed by England. They boarded three ships in Boston harbour and threw 342 chests of tea overboard.
By 1775 the British Parliament declared Massachusetts to be in rebellion, marking the official start of the war.
On 4 July 1776 Congress issued the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson. The declaration was a formal statement justifying the North American colonies’ break with Great Britain.
Image: Wikipedia Commons
1777 Formal recognition of the United States
France formally recognized the United States, and a formal treaty of their alliance followed on February 6, 1778.
1783 The end of the War of Independence
The Treaty of Paris of 1783, negotiated between the United States and Great Britain, ended the revolutionary war and recognized American independence.
1619–1865 The role of slavery in transatlantic relations
By the mid-17th century, transatlantic trade was dominated by ships from Europe travelling to the West coast of Africa and onto America. Whilst in Africa, traders would exchange goods for captured people who were then taken to America to work as slaves on sugar and tobacco plantations.
In 1807, the British government passed an Act of Parliament abolishing the slave trade throughout the British Empire.
Image: Wikipedia Commons
In America the movement to abolish slavery was also gaining ground. It was a key factor in the American Civil War of 1861–65. The 13th Amendment to the American Constitution, adopted late in 1865, officially abolished slavery.
Close allies
The United States has long forged positive relationships with its European counterparts. As early as 1781 the French were helping George Washington win the battle of Yorktown.
In more recent times, America’s closest allies have also been European.
1949 and NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation created a mutual defence force against Communist expansion. The United States and 11 other Western nations signed it. The Soviet Union and its affiliated Communist nations in Eastern Europe founded a rival alliance, the Warsaw Pact, in 1955.
Image: Wikipedia Commons
The “Special Relationship”
The term “special relationship” refers to the specific relationship between the leaders of the US and those of the UK. Winston Churchill first coined the phrase in 1946 during a speech made in Fulton, Missouri. He called for “a special relationship between the British Commonwealth and Empire and the United States”, who can “work together at the common task as friends and partners”.
Image: Wikepedia Commons
Since then the special relationship has endured, although different leaders have placed different emphasis on its importance.
Margaret Thatcher referred to Ronald Reagan as “the second most important man in my life”, while George W. Bush and Tony Blair were also famously close.
But Barack Obama was openly critical of then prime minister David Cameron’s foreign affairs policies, accusing him of being responsible for the “mess in Libya”.
The 1990s trade agreements
In 1995 President Clinton signed the New Transatlantic Agenda (NTA). This provided for further joint action between the US and EU in the areas of peace, stability and global development. The resulting Transatlantic Economic Partnership was launched in 1998 in order to expand cooperation and dialogue about trade and investment.
Image: Pixabay
1991 and 2003: The Gulf and Iraq Wars
European allies such as Britain and France contributed the bulk of non-U.S. forces in the Gulf War that liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupation in 1991.
Tony Blair famously wrote to George W Bush to affirm that the UK was behind him all the way in the War on Iraq, which lasted from 2003 to 2011. Blair stated that he took Britain to war to eliminate the threat from Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Subsequent investigations showed the Blair government had overstated the threat. No significant stocks of WMDs were ever found in Iraq.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush in 2005
Image: REUTERS/Jason Reed
2011 — A diluted special relationship
The US, under President Barack Obama, signalled a shift in focus from Europe to Asia. Obama saw trade with Pacific nations as crucial to his country’s economic recovery.
In 2014, The US and the UK began a series of negotiations designed to make it easier for US companies to trade here and UK companies to trade over there. However, no agreement has yet been reached, and many say it never will.
2017 and Donald Trump
Donald Trump alarmed some NATO members when he said during election campaigning that he would not necessarily come to their defence if they did not pay their share of costs. Since being elected he has assured Britain that it is still a “special place”.
Image: REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
Mr Trump openly called for Britain to leave the EU during the referendum campaign. He has also attacked transatlantic and international trade deals, saying he will renegotiate them putting “America first”. Negotiations on the TTIP (the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), a trade agreement between the US and the EU which could cover 45% of global GDP, are already fraught.
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Originally published at weforum.org.
