The U.S.-Afghan relationship did not suddenly emerge after the September 11, 2001, attacks, nor was it precipitated by the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Instead, the two states have engaged in political and economic diplomacy for more than a century. This chapter highlights three key stages in U.S.-Afghan relations: the eras of British colonial dominance, global Cold War, and the so-called War on Terror. Overall, it demonstrates that U.S. policy toward Afghanistan has always been ambivalent and fundamentally linked to its relations with neighboring Pakistan.