From Jamestown to Biden: the UK-US (Not So) “Special Relationship”

13 February 2021 International

Beatriz Duarte 8 min

It has been said the United States and the United Kingdom share a “special relationship”. Although its origin remains disputable, the expression was first used in public by Winston Churchill during his “Sinews of Peace” speech in 1946 in Missouri. The contours of the Anglo-American relations have changed over time, marked by highs and lows of friendship, cooperation, shared values of liberal democracy and free trade – but also fierce competition. From Jamestown to the Biden Administration, we will look at what the past tells us about their relationship and what the future holds.