Aftermath

British troops leaving Washington City with their wounded. ©Gerry Embleton.

When the United States boldly declared war on Great Britain, June 18, 1812, proponents expected a relatively quick and easy victory along the northern border with British North America (Canada). Instead, the bloody war wore on for three years, much of it fought on US lands and waters.

The end—indecisive though it was—came none too soon. How did the war end? Had it made any difference? What was the war’s impacts on the Chesapeake?

 

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  War's End

  The War of 1812 officially ended on February 17, 1815, after nearly six months of negotiations in the city of Ghent, in today’s Belgium.

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  War's Impact

  What difference did the war make? That depends on the point of view.

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  Defining a Nation

  The War of 1812, although a relatively small conflict, shaped the future of the United States domestically and internationally.