When did the U.S. and England first become allies instead of enemies?

Factual Questions
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I’ll be happy to move this elsewhere if so requested.

Was a vote on recognition of the Confederacy ever proposed in Parliament? Not that I can find. Did the foreign office explictly say no to Jefferson Davis’s request for recognition? Not until Lord Russell’s note in 1862 (after the Emancipation Proclamation).

Prior to that point, Lord Russel and PM Palmerston were both verbally advocates of recognizing the South, as was much of the House of Lords. I would suggest that if the PM is for it, there’s a decent chance the government would have gone along in a vote (e.g. Blair in modern times).

One of the reasons for British involvement neither of us has touched on was Captian Wilkes’ attack on the British merchantman Trent to remove the Confederate’s representatives to the government of England (James Mason and John Slidell). This was almost enough to cause war by itself as it bordered on violating the neutrality of ambassadors. http://wmhs.k12.vt.us/WMHS/Faculty/Moriarty/terrible_swift_2.4.htm. I’m not positive, but I think this link is a chapter from Bruce Catton’s book on the war, which contains all the footnotes and references not mentioned in the web link.

Some other links:

One of the House of Lords advocates:Beresford Hope

The timing of the formal rejection around the battle of Antietem - Lord Russel and the PM had scheduled a meeting to discuss formal recognition based on the news from Second Bull Run in Septeber 1862. The meeting changed tone as soon as news of Antietem and the Emancipation Proclamation arrived. http://www.carman.net/antietam.htm

A book that goes into all sides of the story in pretty good detail, covering both the official and unofficial actions (with original sources cited): Rebel Raiders: The astonishing history of the Confederacy’s Secret Navy

In any case, the issue was dead by 1862, regardless of whatever notes may have been passed or diplomatic games may have been played prior to that point. Antietem and the Emancipation Proclamation made the political cost too high, and the battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg (July 1863) pretty much convinced the rest of the House of Lords that the South wasn’t going to survive.

We both agree that recognition wouldn’t have come without major military gains on the part of the south… such as capturing Washington. However, after the Second Battle of Bull Run/Second Manassas, that prospect seemed rather likely. Especially with the incident of the Trent as a legitimate Cassus Belli for the English.

One closely fought battle (usually considered a tie) and one executive order from the US President may have been all that stopped English recognition (or at least serious consideration and a full parliamentary debate). That’s why I think this goes into Great Debate territory.

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Re the OP, the first time I am aware of where British and US forces fought side by side as allies was in 1900, while fighting against the Boxer movement in China.

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The US was allied with Great Britain in the War of the Barbary Pirates, but never coordinated their actions.

In June 1859, acting on his own initiative, American Commodore Josiah Tattnail, assited the British attack on the Peiho forts during the second Opium War (1856-9). He used his ship, the Toeywan, to tow the British boat’s from the shore with the survivors of the land attack, justifying his actions by saying “Blood is thicker than water”

American animosity towards the German Empire had its own grounding, separate from any friendship with Great Britain, in the 19th century in the Pacific. The Americans and Germans fought what amounted to a proxy war in a civil war in Samoa. If the US hadn’t annexed Hawaii, there’s a good probability that the Germans would have. Also, right after the Battle of Manila Bay, the German Navy pulled in and started conducting amphibious excersizes, until Admiral Dewey threatened to fire on them.