Treaty of Ghent
This month marks the 200th anniversary of the end of the War
of 1812. The hostilities formally ended on February 17, 1815, at 11 p.m., when
President Madison exchanged ratification documents for the Treaty of Ghent with
a British representative.
Although both countries had been exploring the possibility
of peace since almost the beginning of the war, official peace negotiations
didn’t begin until August 1814 in Ghent, Belgium. The American delegation was
made up of some of the best America had to offer: John Quincy Adams, Henry
Clay, Albert Gallatin, Jonathan Russell, and James A. Bayard. Britain, on the
other hand, sent lesser-known diplomats, reserving its stronger players for the
Congress of Vienna, which began around the same time and addressed European
issues following Napoleon’s initial defeat.
News of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent arrives in
Britain
Although the two delegations came to the table with many
issues to negotiate, in the end the treaty avoided virtually all those
subjects—as well as the grievances (such as impressment and restriction of
neutral trade) that had caused the war in the first place. Leaving to future
resolution nearly all issues the two sides disagreed on, the treaty only really
ended hostilities and gave each nation back whatever territory it possessed at
the beginning of the war. Neither side emerged a clear victor in the
negotiations.
The British and American representatives signed the treaty
on December 24, 1814, and the British government ratified it a few days later.
However, although the Treaty of Ghent was signed in December, news traveled
slowly to the Americas, which meant that some battles—most famously the Battle
of New Orleans—were fought after the treaty was signed.
Britain receives word of ratification of Treaty of Ghent by
US
A month and a half after the British ratification, the
treaty finally made it across the ocean to the United States, and on February
16th, the Senate unanimously ratified the treaty. Madison approved it later the
same day and then exchanged ratifications with the British on the 17th, ending
the war.
Interested in the War of 1812 or have ancestors who served
in it? Explore Fold3’s War of 1812 collection, including pension application
files and service records.
