On December 24th, the Treaty of Ghent was signed to end the War of 1812 between Great Britain and the United States. The treaty restored relations of the two nations back to status quo ante bellum, meaning that everything was restored to what it was before the war started. Neither side gained any territory, and trade relations and British maritime policy returned to what it was before the war. While the Treaty of Ghent ended the war, it did not end the battles. I'm not referring to Andrew Jackson's battle of New Orleans, but rather I am referring to the battles over commerce, borders and indemnity. For 12 long years, James Madison, James Monroe and John Quincy Adams fought with Great Britain over reciprocal trade policies, more than $1.2 million dollars of indemnity for slaves that were taken and the border between the Northwest United States and Canada.
In 1826 and 1827 under President John Quincy Adams, a number of the conventions were held that would perhaps bring a finale to the War of 1812 negotiations. President Adams called these negotiations a "triumph more glorious than any field of blood can ever bestow", yet in the eyes of Congress, things weren't so rosy. Over the years, President James Monroe worked with Congress to pass more restrictive trade acts on Great Britain in an effort to force them to open up more trade. These acts backfired, and Great Britain closed up even more of their trade to the United States. As the trade war continued into 1827, President Adams began to take the fall, with some members of Congress furious over what they saw as a series of blunders.
Finally, with these conventions or treaties, Adams had something positive to share with Congress. The first and most significant was the Convention that concluded in November of 1826 when Great Britain agreed to pay $1,204,960 as indemnity for slaves carried away during the war. Second was the Convention of 1827, concluded on August 6th providing joint temporary occupancy of the territory west of the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and indefinitely extended the Commercial Convention of 1815. President Adams called the first convention the "final disposal of one of the most painful topics of collision between the United States and Great Britain". This was by far the most difficult of the negotiations and was arbitrated by the Czar Alexander of Russia. Adams explained that it was the resolution of this topic that promoted a "friendly disposition" and softened up both sides opening the door to discussions on all the others.
It had been 12 long years since the war had ended, and the lingering trade war with Great Britain left many in Congress frustrated. Adams found it necessary to explain how important it was that these treaties should be ratified. First, Adams took the opportunity to explain the concept of reciprocity and the "mutual interest" as the vital spirit of trade itself. Adams explained that the core to the success of commercial intercourse between independent nations is the mutual interest of both parties. If one nation had all the advantages and the other all the burdens, then it is only natural that trade between the nations would quickly lead to conflict and war. Commercial treaties that eliminate this inequality, are among the most effective means to promoting peace and harmony between nations. But for treaties to be effective, they must be based on the rule of reciprocity or "mutual interest". Adams put it this way, "In framing such treaties it is the duty of each party not simply to urge with unyielding pertinacity that which suits its own interest, but to concede liberally to that which is adapted to the interest of the other." Any treaty that does not follow the simple rule of reciprocity would prove to be "an incentive to war than a bond of peace". It was on this principle of precocity that the commercial treaties between the United States and Great Britain were concluded. Adams shared that such reciprocity was needed because the amount of trade between the United States and Great Britain surpassed that of any two nations on the globe, and for all intents and purposes trade between these two nations was more precious and more extensive than if the two parties were "constituent parts of one and the same nation". Now, it was up to Congress to ratify them, and Adams was urging them to do just that. Here are is the full excerpt from his 1827 State of the Union address:
"Our relations of friendship with the other nations of the earth, political and commercial, have been preserved unimpaired, and the opportunities to improve them have been cultivated with anxious and unremitting attention. A negotiation upon subjects of high and delicate interest with the Government of Great Britain has terminated in the adjustment of some of the questions at issue upon satisfactory terms and the postponement of others for future discussion and agreement.
The purposes of the convention concluded at St. Petersburg on 1822-07-12, under the mediation of the late Emperor Alexander, have been carried into effect by a subsequent convention, concluded at London on 1826-11-13, the ratifications of which were exchanged at that place on 1827-02-06. A copy of the proclamations issued on 1827-03-19, publishing this convention, is herewith communicated to Congress. The sum of $1,204,960, therein stipulated to be paid to the claimants of indemnity under the first article of the treaty of Ghent, has been duly received, and the commission instituted, comformably to the act of Congress of 1827-03-02, for the distribution of the indemnity of the persons entitled to receive it are now in session and approaching the consummation of their labors. This final disposal of one of the most painful topics of collision between the United States and Great Britain not only affords an occasion of gratulation to ourselves, but has had the happiest effect in promoting a friendly disposition and in softening asperities upon other objects of discussion; nor ought it to pass without the tribute of a frank and cordial acknowledgment of the magnanimity with which an honorable nation, by the reparation of their own wrongs, achieves a triumph more glorious than any field of blood can ever bestow.
The conventions of 1815-07-03, and of 1818-10-20, will expire by their own limitation on 1828-10-20. These have regulated the direct commercial intercourse between the United States and Great Britain upon terms of the most perfect reciprocity; and they effected a temporary compromise of the respective rights and claims to territory westward of the Rocky Mountains. These arrangements have been continued for an indefinite period of time after the expiration of the above mentioned conventions, leaving each party the liberty of terminating them by giving twelve months' notice to the other.
The radical principle of all commercial intercourse between independent nations is the mutual interest of both parties. It is the vital spirit of trade itself; nor can it be reconciled to the nature of man or to the primary laws of human society that any traffic should long be willingly pursued of which all the advantages are on one side and all the burdens on the other. Treaties of commerce have been found by experience to be among the most effective instruments for promoting peace and harmony between nations whose interests, exclusively considered on either side, are brought into frequent collisions by competition. In framing such treaties it is the duty of each party not simply to urge with unyielding pertinacity that which suits its own interest, but to concede liberally to that which is adapted to the interest of the other.
To accomplish this, little more is generally required than a simple observance of the rule of reciprocity, and were it possible for the states- men of 1 nation by stratagem and management to obtain from the weakness or ignorance of another an over-reaching treaty, such a compact would prove an incentive to war rather than a bond of peace.
Our conventions with Great Britain are founded upon the principles of reciprocity. The commercial intercourse between the two countries is greater in magnitude and amount than between any two other nations on the globe. It is for all purposes of benefit or advantage to both as precious, and in all probability far more extensive, than if the parties were still constituent parts of one and the same nation. Treaties between such States, regulating the intercourse of peace between them and adjusting interests of such transcendent importance to both, which have been found in a long experience of years mutually advantageous, should not be lightly cancelled or discontinued. Two conventions for continuing in force those above mentioned have been concluded between the plenipotentiaries of the two Governments on 1827-08-06, and will be forthwith laid before the Senate for the exercise of their constitutional authority concerning them."
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2018). John Quincy Adams: Third Annual Message. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29469 [Accessed 13 Apr. 2018].
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peace_of_Ghent_1814_and_triumph_of_America_-_Mme._Plantou,_Citizen_of_the_United_States_pinxit_;_Chataigner,_sculpsit._LCCN2003670665.jpg
I have written many posts on the Treaty of Ghent and material was drawn from several of these. Read more about the Treaty of Ghent
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