A Treaty of Peace

Today marks the 206th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent - the document which harkened an end to hostilities between the United States and Great Britain in the War of 1812. For many Americans, this war is an obscure one, so it is not surprising when Museum staff and docents encounter the question, “who won the War of 1812?”. In theory it is a much more difficult question to ponder than one would think. For today’s blog, we are going to examine this treaty and the role that the Battle of Lake Erie played in peace talks.

For all intents and purposes, the War of 1812 was a stalemate - each side staking claim to important victories despite their inability to follow up with significant strategic gains. An example of this includes the Battle of Lake Erie which witnessed the defeat of Great Britain’s Lake Erie squadron on September 10, 1813. While crucial to American pride, the battle was not exactly the “turning point” of the conflict that some claim. Our now-retired Site Administrator Walter Rybka wrote in his book The Lake Erie Campaign, “neither side had the strength or resources to turn the other’s flank. If Barclay had defeated Perry, the British would not have been able to mount any further attempts at invading Ohio”. This was due to the fact that supply lines ended at Detroit for both sides and, as we know, an army moves on its stomach.

Following the Battle of Lake Erie, the British retaliated by crossing the Niagara River, leading to the destruction of American settlements at Black Rock and Buffalo. To add insult to injury, the British also captured Fort Niagara and would remain British hands for the remainder of the war. By the Spring of 1814, the British were keen on expanding its presence in North America following Napoleon’s defeat in Europe. With this, the Americans realized the impact that Napoleon’s defeat would have in British operations moving forward. In August 1814, both sides met in Ghent to discuss terms. Initially, the British sought significant concessions to which, the United States were adamantly against. From here, a waiting game commenced. Over the course of the next few months, the Americans escaped certain disaster by pushing back the British attack on Baltimore and Plattsburgh.

At Ghent, the lead British negotiator believed that, if the British had “burned Baltimore of taken Plattsburgh we may have been able to press on”. Both sides agreed to conclude the conflict with status quo - essentially, both powers would retain the holdings that they began the war with. Rybka concludes, “it is only here at the end of the war that the true significance of the Battle of Lake Erie becomes apparent”. While historians do not typically speak in hypotheticals, it should be questioned that had it been Perry who surrendered at Put-in-Bay, the British may have retained control of Detroit. With this, the U.S.-Canadian boarder may have remained at the Ohio-Michigan line.

In the end, peace came on December 24, 1814 however, this was not the end of hostilities. January 1815 witnessed one of the more famous engagements of the war. In the words of Johnny Cash, the American flag, “got a bad rip…with Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams” at the Battle of New Orleans. News of the war’s end and Jackson’s victory at New Orleans came to the citizens of the United States almost simultaneously. With this, these would have certainly instilled a lot of confidence across the young nation.

So, I leave it to you in the comments…who do YOU think won the War of 1812 and why. Happy Holidays and well wishes for 2021.