Things I Did Not Know About the Treaty of Ghent

Signed on December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent brought the War of 1812 to an end. Ghent is a town in what is currently Belgium and at the time it was part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Louis XVIII was the King of France and King George III was still King of England. Napoleon’s Hundred Days would begin in March, and he would be defeated at Waterloo in June. This context is important because it demonstrates what an anomaly the United States was in the beginning of the 19th century.

For the second time in 30 years a conflict and treaty signed in Europe with Great Britain raised the stature of the United States. The Treaty of Ghent is important and marks the last time the United States and Great Britain waged war against each other.

I did not know the name of the treaty that ended the War of 1812 which was the catalyst for writing this essay! Here are some other interesting things I learned:

• There was no mention in the treaty of the British impressment of Americans to serve in the Royal Navy which was one of the causes of the war.
• In the North, no boundaries changed and the disputed islands off the coast of what is now Maine were to be jointly held until an arbitration described in the treaty was completed.
• All property, including documents and papers were to be returned to their respective parties. The treaty specifically mentions slaves as property to be returned.
• Spain was allied with Britain, and the US kept what was the Spanish West Florida territory, or that west of the Perdido River and including Mobile.
• The Battle of New Orleans was fought after the signing of the treaty and most Americans found out about the treaty at the same time as Andrew Jackson’s victory.