states that were very different from the pre-Columbian civilizations and cultures that had existed before. Even after the United States (and later Canada) became independent, the main relationship between the two continents was one-way migration. Politically the United States tried to keep a distance from European affairs, and Canada was subordinate to British foreign policy. During the First World War however both North American states found themselves fighting in Europe and engrossed in European politics. President Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points helped to redraw the map of Europe. Although the Roosevelt administration wanted to enter the war against Germany, the vast majority of Americans were too isolationist and disillusioned at their experience in World War I to seek involvement in the World War II, at least until the U.S. was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and Adolf Hitler declared war on the United States on December 11, 1941. Once involved, the US became pivotal to the war effort and therefore European politics. After the second war the United States and Canada both desired a permanent role in the defence of Europe, and European states wanted protection from the Soviet Union. The result was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which became the lynchpin of Transatlantic relations during the Cold War. Atlanticism is a philosophy which advocates for close cooperation between North America and Europe. See also Atlanticism Atlantic Community Atlantic Council Atlantic history United States–European Union relations European Union–NATO relations German Marshall Fund South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone Transatlantic Economic Council Transatlantic Free Trade Area (TAFTA) Canada–European Union relations Canada–NATO relations Western World References External links Center for Transatlantic Relations Bibliography Jussi M. Hanhimaki, Benedikt Schoenborn and Barbara Zanchetta, "Transatlantic Relations since 1945. An Introduction", Routledge, London, 2012. External links A stronger EU-US Partnership and a more open market for the 21st century European Union Institute for Security Studies: The Obama Moment - European and American Perspectives Atlantic Council of the U.S.: Transatlantic Cooperation Against Terrorism Atlantic Council publications on transatlantic economics, security, and politics "The Invisible Pillar of Transatlantic Cooperation: Activating Untapped Science & Technology Assets," Science & Diplomacy R. Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, called on the U.S. and Europe to embrace common purpose around an ambitious global agenda that would redefine its mission for the 21st Century. United States–European relations Third-country relations of the European Union Canada–Europe relations Relations