Treaty of Ghent
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The Treaty of Ghent was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands. The treaty restored relations between the two parties to status quo ante bellum by restoring the pre-war borders of June 1812.. Both sides were eager to end the war. It ended when the treaty arrived in Washington and was immediately ratified unanimously by the United States Senate and exchanged with British officials the next day.
"The Signing of the Treaty of Ghent, Christmas Eve, 1814" by Charles Amédée Forestier. The leading British delegate Lord Gambier is shaking hands with the American leader John Quincy Adams. The British Undersecretary of State for War and the Colonies, Henry Goulburn, is carrying a red folder.
The Peace Bridge between New York and Ontario
War of 1812
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The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States declared war on Britain on 18 June 1812. Although peace terms were agreed upon in the December 1814 Treaty of Ghent, the war did not officially end until the peace treaty was ratified by the United States Congress on 17 February 1815.
Clockwise from top: Damage to the United States Capitol after the burning of Washington Mortally wounded Isaac Brock spurs on the York Volunteers at the battle of Queenston Heights USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere The death of Tecumseh in 1813 Andrew Jackson defeats the British assault on New Orleans in 1815
Depiction of a British private soldier (left) and officer (right) of the period
American surrender of Detroit, August 1812
Oliver Hazard Perry's message to William Henry Harrison after the Battle of Lake Erie began thus: "We have met the enemy and they are ours".