On what date did the United States and Britain sign the Treaty of Ghent?

The United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814, in Ghent, in the United Netherlands, now Belgium. The treaty was intended to end the War of 1812.

The agreement restored relations largely to the status quo before the war. It provided for the restoration of captured territory, ships, and prisoners, while leaving major prewar boundaries unchanged. American negotiators included John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, James Bayard, Jonathan Russell, and Albert Gallatin.

Signing alone did not complete the legal process. The British government approved the treaty later in December, and the United States Senate ratified it unanimously in February 1815. Because news traveled slowly, the Battle of New Orleans occurred on January 8, 1815, after the treaty had been signed but before American officials knew about it. The treaty took effect on February 17, 1815.