Treaty of Ghent Timeline

(December 24, 1814 – February 17, 1815)

The Treaty of Ghent was the peace agreement signed on December 24, 1814, in Ghent, Belgium (then part of the Netherlands), that formally ended the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. Negotiated over several months by American and British delegates, the treaty restored pre-war boundaries, returned captured territory, and notably made no mention of the maritime grievances—such as impressment of sailors—that had originally sparked the conflict. Because communication was slow in that era, the Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815, weeks after the treaty had already been signed. The treaty was ratified by the U.S. Senate on February 17, 1815. More Less

Go to: Timeline | Event List | Key Facts | Directory

Ratification and Aftermath

American occupation of Mobile and West Florida

1813

All of Spanish West Florida west of the Perdido River, including the important port of Mobile, was occupied by the Americans in 1813, but the Treaty of Ghent did not force the Americans to leave this section of West Florida.

Image source: Treaty of Ghent

Prince Regent approves the treaty

Dec 27, 1814 - Dec 30, 1814

It was ratified by George IV at the Carlton House on December 27, 1814, and the treaty was approved by the British Parliament and signed into law by the Prince Regent (the future King George IV) on December 30, 1814.

Battle of New Orleans

Jan 8, 1815

It took a month for news of the treaty to reach the United States, during which American forces under Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815, a decisive American victory fought after the treaty had already been signed.

Image source: Battle of New Orleans

US Senate approves the treaty unanimously

Feb 16, 1815

The US Senate unanimously approved the treaty on February 16, 1815, moving the agreement one step closer to taking full effect.

Madison exchanges final ratified copies

Feb 17, 1815

President James Madison signed the treaty and exchanged final ratified copies with the British ambassador on February 17, 1815, formally ending the war. The treaty took effect in February 1815.

Daily National Intelligencer announces ratification

Feb 23, 1815

The Daily National Intelligencer announced the United States' ratification of the Treaty of Ghent on February 23, 1815, spreading word of the war's official end across the nation.

US Senate ratification reaches the Foreign Office

Mar 13, 1815

She brought back the ratification by the United States Senate (dated February 17, 1815), which arrived at the Foreign Office on March 13, 1815, completing the exchange of ratifications between the two governments.

Britain compensates American slaveholders

1826

However, in 1826, Britain instead paid the U.S. government US$1,204,960 (equivalent to $34,288,200 in 2025) to compensate American slaveholders.

Road to Negotiation

Russia offers to mediate peace talks

Oct 1, 1813 - Dec 31, 1813

In late 1813, Emperor Alexander I of Russia offered to mediate peace negotiations between the British and Americans at Saint Petersburg, but the British rejected Russian mediation and never sent a delegation.

Direct peace talks planned at Gothenburg

Jan 1814

A new arrangement was made in early January 1814 to hold direct peace talks at Gothenburg in Sweden, yet the British again failed to show up for several months.

British focus on European balance of power

1814

The British government's main diplomatic focus in 1814 was not ending the war in North America, but the European balance of power after the apparent defeat of Napoleonic France and the return to power in Paris of the pro-British Bourbons.

British goals of stopping trade and impressment become dead letters

Mar 1814 - Apr 1814

With the defeat of Napoleon in March–April 1814, the main British goals of stopping American trade with France and impressment of sailors from American ships were dead letters. Each side was tired of the war since export trade was all but paralyzed, and France was no longer an enemy of Britain, so the Royal Navy no longer needed to stop American shipments or take more seamen.

Abdication of Napoleon

Apr 1814

After the abdication of Napoleon in April 1814, British public opinion demanded major gains in the war against the United States.

Peace talks relocated to Ghent

Jun 20, 1814 - Jun 30, 1814

A meeting between the negotiators eventually took place in late June 1814, where it was decided to move the site of peace talks to Ghent in the Southern Netherlands.

Negotiations at Ghent

British commissioners arrive in Ghent

Aug 7, 1814

The British commissioners Gambier, Goulburn, Adams and Baker arrived in Ghent on the 7th of August 1814, ready to begin formal discussions with their American counterparts.

First formal meeting of negotiators in Ghent

Aug 8, 1814

The first formal meeting with the American plenipotentiaries began on 8 August 1814 at 1 p.m., and peace discussions began in neutral Ghent.

Signing of the Treaty of Ghent

Dec 24, 1814

On December 24, 1814, the members of the British and American negotiating teams signed and affixed their individual seals to the document in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in Belgium). The treaty ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom and restored relations between the two parties to status quo ante bellum by restoring the pre-war borders of June 1812. Signing did not itself end the war, which required formal ratification by both governments, which came in February 1815.

Legacy and Commemoration

Aroostook War border dispute

1838 - 1839

Despite a few tense moments such as the Aroostook War in 1838–39, the treaty began more than two centuries of peaceful relations between the United States and the United Kingdom.

Image source: Aroostook War

Pig War boundary dispute

1859

The Pig War in 1859 was another tense moment in Anglo-American relations after the Treaty of Ghent, but like other disputes, it was ultimately resolved peacefully.

Image source: Pig War (1859)

Trent Affair strains relations

1861

The Trent Affair in 1861 was another tense moment between the United States and Britain following the Treaty of Ghent, but peaceful relations nonetheless endured through this crisis during the American Civil War.

Image source: Trent Affair

Century of peaceful dispute resolution ends with World War I

1914

In the century of peace between both countries that followed from 1815 to World War I, several more territorial and diplomatic disputes arose, but all were resolved peacefully, sometimes by arbitration.

Peace Arch dedicated at Douglas–Blaine crossing

Sep 1921

The Peace Arch, dedicated in September 1921, stands 20.5 metres (67 ft) tall at the Douglas–Blaine border crossing between the province of British Columbia and the state of Washington, commemorating lasting peace.

Image source: Peace Arch

Fountain of Time dedicated in Chicago

1922

In 1922, the Fountain of Time was dedicated in Washington Park, Chicago, commemorating 110 years of peace between the United States and Britain since the signing of the Treaty of Ghent.

Image source: Fountain of Time

Peace Bridge opens between Buffalo and Fort Erie

1927

The Peace Bridge between Buffalo, New York, and Fort Erie, Ontario, opened in 1927 to commemorate more than a century of peace between the United States and Canada.

Image source: Peace Bridge

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial built

1936

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial (1936) commemorates the Battle of Lake Erie that took place near Ohio's South Bass Island, in which Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led a fleet to victory in one of the most significant naval battles of the War of 1812.

Image source: Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial

Key Facts

The Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814, in Ghent, in present-day Belgium, officially ending the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain.
The treaty essentially restored the status quo ante bellum, returning all conquered territory to each side and reestablishing pre-war boundaries between the United States and British Canada.
The treaty did not address the original causes of the war, including British impressment of American sailors and trade restrictions, which became largely moot after Napoleon's defeat in Europe.
Because news traveled slowly across the Atlantic, the famous American victory at the Battle of New Orleans under Andrew Jackson occurred on January 8, 1815—after the treaty had already been signed.
The U.S. Senate unanimously ratified the treaty on February 17, 1815, marking the beginning of lasting peace and improved relations between the United States and Great Britain.

Source

This Treaty of Ghent timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

Want a timeline like this one?

Generate yours with AI or build it from scratch, for free.

Try It for Free