American morale was at an all-time low when the British captured the City of Washington and burned the White House. Many people were unhappy about the Treaty of Ghent negotiated in Belgium on December 24, 1814, to end the War of 1812. They felt the document was weak and would not be honored. Then General Andrew Jackson's leadership at the Battle of New Orleans changed everything! The battles with British troops at Chalmette on December 28, 1814, and January 1 and 8, 1815, are among the most decisive American military victories in our history.