The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was a conflict fought between the United States and its Indigenous allies, and the United Kingdom, its dependent colonies in North America, Indigenous allies, and Spain.[f] The conflict formally began when the United States declared war on 18 June 1812, and officially ended with the Treaty of Ghent, which was signed on 24 December 1814. The Treaty of Ghent was signed by both American and British diplomats and also ratified by the British government in December 1814, but according to the terms of the treaty, peace did not take effect until the United States government also ratified it, which happened almost two months later on 17 February 1815.
