James MonroePresidency |
What treaty helped soothe relations between the U.S. and Britain in Monroe’s first year of office? |
The two countries signed the Rush-Bagot treaty in 1817, which demilitarized the Great Lakes area by the northern border of the U.S. This had been a hotly contested area of military conflict during the War of 1812. Under the treaty, each side would remove military posts and a border was established between the U.S. and British territory (later Canada). The treaty was named after U.S. Secretary of State Richard Rush and British minister Sir Charles Bagot.