The key treaty that ended the War of 1812 was the Treaty of Ghent, signed on December 24, 1814. This agreement effectively restored the territorial status quo ante bellum, meaning that no significant land exchanges occurred between the United States and Great Britain. The treaty's signing did not prevent further tensions, but it ended combat and established a framework for future diplomacy. Notably, the war fueled a sense of nationalism in the U.S., highlighting its sovereignty and capacity to defend itself, while also leading to the decline of the Federalist Party.