Treaty of Ghent is Signed
December 24, 1814 · 19th Century
On December 24, 1814, American and British negotiators signed the Treaty of Ghent in present-day Belgium, ending the War of 1812. The American delegation — John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and Albert Gallatin among them — rejected British demands for border adjustments and Native American buffer states. The final terms restored pre-war boundaries with no territorial changes. Impressment, the war's primary trigger, went unmentioned. Andrew Jackson's victory at New Orleans on January 8, 1815, occurred before word of peace arrived. The U.S. Senate ratified the treaty unanimously.
Key Figures
John Quincy AdamsJames A. BayardHenry ClayAlbert GallatinJonathan RussellLord James GambierHenry GoulburnWilliam Adams
Locations
Washington, D.C.Ghent
Topics
united kingdomwar of 1812treaty of ghentunited statescurriculum5th grade
Connected Events — 2 Connections
Ended the War of 1812 but left the issue of naval armaments on the Great Lakes unresolved, creating the specific problem that the Rush-Bagot Treaty addressed three years later Rush-Bagot Treaty
The War of 1812's declaration directly led to the Treaty of Ghent negotiations, as the treaty was specifically designed to end this conflict and restore pre-war boundaries between the US and Britain War of 1812 Begins
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