The Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812

The War at Sea

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Pressure For Peace

In the United States, however, pressure was mounting to negotiate a peace treaty with the British, particularly in the northeastern states, which were the most hostile to the conflict. Even though the war being fought in America was not its main concern, Great Britain was interested in putting an end to the crisis and renewing its commercial ties with the United States. On December 24, 1814, British and American diplomats negotiated and signed a peace treaty at Ghent, Belgium. 70

Under the treaty, the two belligerent nations agreed to keep the boundaries in effect prior to 1812 and to defer negotiations on thorny matters to a later date. The Anglo-Canadians were therefore required to evacuate the West and Maine, and to return to the status quo. News of the treaty reached New York on February 8, 1815, and the Senate unanimously endorsed it on the 16th. This information reached Canada in early March and orders were given to disband the corps of volunteers and demobilize the militias.