War of 1812

War of 1812 (1812–15) Conflict between the USA and Britain. The main source of friction was British maritime policy during the Napoleonic Wars, which included the impressment of sailors from US vessels and the interception of US merchant ships. Difficulties on the border with Canada also contributed. In 1811, President James Madison reimposed the Nonintercourse Act on trade with the British. The USA was ill-prepared for war and an invasion of Canada failed. Stephen Decatur restored US pride. Victory on Lake Erie (September 1813) enabled US forces, led by William H. Harrison, to force British troops back across the Canadian border. The Hartford Convention raised the possibility of New England secession, while the end of the Napoleonic Wars (1814) freed more British forces. The British imposed a naval blockade and captured Washington, D.C., burning the White House. A US naval victory on Lake Champlain, however, ended the British threat to New York. With the war at stalemate, John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay led US negotiations that resulted in the Treaty of Ghent (December 24, 1814). Andrew Jackson's victory at New Orleans occurred after the signing of the treaty.