Treaty of Ghent Further Reading The Treaty of Ghent The Treaty of Ghent: An American Perspective The Treaty of Ghent: An British Perspective

A First Nations Perspective No country can claim to have won the War of 1812, but the First Nations people definitely lost it. There was no First Nations representation at the 1814 peace talks despite the fact that native warriors had played a major role in the war. Furthermore, although the British had pledged to secure a territory for the First Nations people before signing any peace deal, the British quickly reneged on their promise in the face of American resistance. Instead, the Natives were given "all the rights and privileges they enjoyed before the war." This wording was so vague that it could have been interpreted in almost any way. In essence, it meant that First Nations had made no gains by involving themselves so deeply in this conflict. When Black Hawk of the Sauk Nation heard the details of the Peace Treaty he wept openly. Many white soldiers had gone to war reluctantly - they had taken up arms because their government obliged them to. But many First Nations felt they must participate in what seemed like a last-ditch effort to preserve their homeland and their cultural heritage. After the War of 1812 ended, the surviving American, Canadian and British soldiers all went home, but many native warriors and their families could not since they no longer had any to return to.