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Primary sourceDocument24 December 1814

Treaty of Ghent

24 December 1814

The 1814 treaty ending the War of 1812, the war Madison asked Congress to declare and led as president.

This treaty ended the War of 1812, which Madison led as president and later submitted to the Senate and proclaimed.

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Handwritten manuscript page on aged paper, bound at left with a dark cord. Title reads 'Treaty of Peace and Amity between His Britannic Majesty and The United States of America', followed by the opening paragraph in cursive script.
Treaty of Ghent, 24 December 1814. U.S. National Archives.

About this source

What it is

This is the Treaty of Peace and Amity between Great Britain and the United States, signed December 24, 1814, ending the War of 1812. It is held at the U.S. National Archives.

Why it matters

President James Madison had asked Congress for a declaration of war in 1812 amid disputes over British blockades and impressment of American sailors. The war brought disasters, including the burning of Washington, before American negotiators -- including John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay -- agreed to peace terms restoring prewar boundaries. News traveled slowly, so fighting continued even after the treaty was signed.

Look closer

  • What does it mean that a major battle was fought after peace had already been agreed?
  • Who negotiated the treaty, and what does that tell you about its stakes?
  • What problems does a peace treaty solve, and what does it leave unresolved?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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