Final answer:
Britain and the U.S. signed the Treaty of Ghent in 1814 to end the War of 1812, maintaining pre-war boundaries between the U.S. and British Canada and easing American concerns about their western expansion.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 1814, Britain and the U.S. signed the Treaty of Ghent to bring an end to the war that is commonly referred to as the War of 1812. This agreement essentially restored the status quo ante bellum, meaning that the boundaries between the U.S. and British Canada would remain as they were before the war. Still feeling the effects of the conflict with Napoleon in Europe, Britain was willing to conclude the war without territorial changes in North America, an outcome which eased American concerns about possible interruptions to the country's western expansion.
Representatives of the British and U.S. government met in the city of Ghent, which was located in Flanders, northern Belgium. Their negotiations culminated in December 1814 with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. The treaty came into force after it was ratified by both governments, which for the United States occurred after the famous Battle of New Orleans, fought in January 1815. Despite its importance in ending the War of 1812, the Treaty of Ghent is often overshadowed by the Treaty of Paris, which was the earlier agreement signed in 1783 that concluded the American Revolutionary War and recognized American independence.