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Primary sourceDocument28 April 1817

Rush–Bagot Treaty

Richard Rush and Charles Bagot · 28 April 1817

An 1817 agreement limiting naval forces on the Great Lakes, launched by instructions Monroe gave as Secretary of State.

Monroe, as Secretary of State, set this disarmament policy in motion before the treaty was signed.

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Green bronze plaque on a pale stone marker, flanked by two robed female figures, with two wreaths at the top bearing eagle and coat-of-arms emblems. Text commemorates the Rush-Bagot Agreement of 1817 limiting naval armament.
Rush–Bagot Treaty, 1817, with a 1935 commemorative marker in Washington, D.C.

About this source

What it is

The Rush–Bagot Treaty (also called the Rush–Bagot Agreement) was an exchange of notes between the United States and Great Britain signed in April 1817, limiting naval armaments on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain after the War of 1812. It was negotiated by Acting Secretary of State Richard Rush and British minister Sir Charles Bagot, and ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1818.

Why it matters

The treaty reduced the risk of another war by demilitarizing the border lakes between the United States and British North America. As Secretary of State, James Monroe had instructed John Quincy Adams in 1815 to propose this kind of mutual disarmament, so the agreement reflects the conciliatory policy toward Britain that Monroe pursued even before becoming president. It helped set the pattern for a long peaceful border with Canada.

Look closer

  • Why would both countries want to limit warships on lakes they shared?
  • What does the long-lasting effect of this short agreement tell you about diplomacy versus war?
  • What is not mentioned here about the people who lived around these lakes?

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