Existing comment:
The End of the War:
By late 1814, neither an exhausted American nor a frustrated Britain could see much to gain from further fighting. The two sides finally agreed to a peace treaty in Ghent, Belgium on December 24.
In previous negotiations, an end to impressment had been the key American demand, rejected by Britain. At Ghent, the Americans finally dropped the issue. In fact, none of the maritime concerns from before the war were featured in the final agreement. Instead, it simply called for a return to the status quo that existed in 1811. Each side also promised to make peace with the American Indians and restore lands and rights affected since 1812. Disputed parts of the American-Canadian border would be resolved, and both sides promised to do their best to stamp out the slave trade.
The final actions of the war took place as the treaty was making its way across the Atlantic. At the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815, a superior British army suffered a severe defeat by Andrew Jackson's frontier forces.
The War of 1812 formally ended on February 16, 1815, when the treaty was approved by the Senate and ratified by President Madison. Neither side could claim victory, but American might claim to have won the peace. A draw against the world's most powerful superpower was hugely symbolic and suggested America's future potential on the world stage.
"The Americans have had the satisfaction of proving their courage they have brought us to speak of them with respect."
-- Augustus J. Foster, the British Minister (ambassador) to the United States, 1815 |