On December 24, 1814, American and British representatives signed the Treat of Ghent, ending the War of 1812 two years after it had begun. The terms of peace were negotiated in the city of Ghent, Belgium. The War of 1812 had begun in June 1812 as a result of several factors. Among these were tensions carried over from the colonial and revolutionary eras and the infringement of the British Empire upon American interests. These included the Royal Navy’s practice of impressment, or forced recruitment, of American sailors; the blockades placed on American trade; and the relationships the British maintained with Indigenous people along the frontier, which prompted fears that the British were aiding Native Americans in an effort to start another war in the United States.