This Day in History: War of 1812 ends

(WHSV) - On December 24, 1814, representatives for the U.S. and Britain met at Ghent, Belgium, to sign the Treaty of Peace and Amity, ending the War of 1812.

The United States initially declared war against Britain over three issues: the British economic blockade of France, the induction of thousands of neutral American seamen into the British Royal Navy against their will, and the British support of Native American tribes along the Great Lakes frontier.

The War of 1812 is also the reason why the current White House is a reconstruction of the original, which the British burned down during the war. It also gave us the Star-Spangled Banner, our national anthem, after Francis Scott Key found inspiration during the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore harbor.