The Treaty of Ghent was signed 24 December 1814, ending The War of 1812 between Britain and the U.S.
Relations between the U.S. and Britain had remained strained, deteriorating sharply in 1803 with the outbreak of the war in Europe. Britain had imposed a blockade on all neutral countries and had impressed U.S. sailors into the British Navy. In Congress, southern and western Democratic-Republican 'War Hawks,' led by House Speaker Henry Clay of Kentucky and Rep. John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, called for a defense of U.S. interests and honor. On 1 June 1812, President James Madison declared war with Congressional approval; all Federalists opposed the declaration.
The War of 1812 produced a string of U.S. military disasters as the British burned much in Washington D.C. on 24-25 August 1814 (side note: the U.S had previously burned many public buildings in Canada).
In 1814 both sides wanted peace. A meeting in Belgium of U.S. delegates and British commissioners ended with signing the Treaty of Ghent on 24 December 1814. Britain agreed to relinquish claims to the Northwest Territory, and both countries pledged to work toward ending slave trade. Nothing else was decided to end this second War of Independence.
Then - after the official peace - Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans on 8 January 1815, ending the hostilities.
