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How did the Treaty of Ghent achieve the United States' objectives in its dealings with Great Britain?

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Final answer:

The Treaty of Ghent achieved the United States' objectives by maintaining pre-war boundaries, ending the British practice of impressing American sailors, allowing a focus on Westward expansion, and reinforcing its status as a separate entity from Britain.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Treaty of Ghent, signed in 1814, effectively ended the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. The major result was the maintenance of pre-war boundaries, with the United States retaining its territorial integrity and continuing its steady expansion into the West. Importantly, this treaty also ended the British practice of impressment, where American sailors were forced to work on British war vessels.

Prior to this, a sense of grievance had been stirred due to earlier treaties such as Jay's Treaty and Pinckney's Treaty which did not address the key issue of impressment. The United States had been further drawn into the conflict through Britain's actions during the Napoleonic Wars, including capturing its sailors and arming Native American groups. This 'Second War of Independence' ended with the Treaty of Ghent, which recognized the United States as a separate entity from Britain and provided room for its expansion.

With the boundaries remaining unchanged, the country was now able to focus its energies more fully on expansion in the West, while maintaining a crucial peace with overseas powers.

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