Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find, knock, and it will be opened to you. – Matthew 7:7
President James Madison signed the Treaty of Ghent on this day in 1815, one day after the U.S. Senate unanimously ratified it, officially ending the War of 1812. The treaty had been approved and signed by the British several weeks before. The war was a derivative of the Napoleonic Wars that took place between 1803 and 1815. In an effort to force the British to relinquish maritime practices that developed from this war, which restricted American trade with the western European continent, the U.S. declared war in June of 1812. The U.S. also hoped to subdue Canada, but that attempt was unsuccessful. In August of 1814, British and U.S. representatives met in Ghent, which is now Belgium, to discuss stipulations for peace. The U.S. abandoned its request to expand its territory into Canada as peace was negotiated.
As the Lord leads, pray with us…
- For the president, secretary of state, and defense secretary as they address foreign threats to the nation.
- For U.S. diplomats and ambassadors as they discuss partnerships and alliances with other countries.
