Rush-Bagot Treaty

The Rush-Bagot Treaty was a disarmament agreement between the United States and Great Britain that limited naval forces on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain following the War of 1812. Originally negotiated through an exchange of diplomatic notes between Richard Rush and Charles Bagot in April 1817, it was formally ratified by the U.S. Senate on April 16, 1818. The treaty helped demilitarize the U.S.-Canada border and established the foundation for peaceful relations between the two nations.