ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief history of US-Iran relations from the earliest days to the end of Qajar Dynasty. The beginning of the relationship between Iran and the United States was complex and dates back to a long time ago. Furthermore, the historic setting also plays an important role as history is played out through institutional and social memories that shaped decision making in the past and shapes decision making today. An underlying social memory seen throughout Iranian history is its sense of empire lost and its identity as a crossroads of civilizations that have laid claim to much of its territory. The chapter explores the historical economic relations between the two countries and examines the early days of economic relations with a considerable discussion of oil. Political maneuvering by the West in attempting to maintain its oil concessions played into the helplessness that many Iranians felt toward the West.
