Albania had been under the domination of the Ottoman Empire since the 14th century, but gained a shaky independence in 1912 after an uprising against the Turks.

President Harding appointed the first U.S. Minister to Albania, Ulysses Grant-Smith, who arrived in Tirana in December 1922.

Albania–United States relations were broken in 1939 upon the Italian invasion of Albania just prior to the start of World War II.

Embassy Tirana was opened October 1, 1991, with Christopher R. Hill as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim.

The previous legation was raised to embassy status, and the envoys would henceforth have the rank of Ambassador.