Rush-Bagot Treaty
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The Rush-Bagot Treaty signed in 1817 between the United States and the United Kingdom demilitarized the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, where many British naval armaments and forts still remained, and laid the basis for a demilitarized boundary between the US and British North America. This agreement was indicative of improving relations between the United States and Britain during this time period following the end of the War of 1812. It was negotiated by Acting Secretary of State Richard Rush and the British minister to Washington Sir Charles Bagot.
It laid the groundwork for and eventually led to the Treaty of Washington of 1871, which completed the job of disarmament.
This treaty marked the end of unofficial fighting (known informally as the Lumberjack's War) along the Maine-Nova Scotia border. The border was fixed with the disputed territory divided among the two nations. Also, as a result of this treaty, portions of the western US-Canada border were adjusted so as to be consistent. It gave the US negligibly more land to the north; gold was later discovered on this land.
The United States and Canada agreed in 1946 through an exchange of diplomatic notes that the stationing of naval vessels for training purposes was permissible provided each government was fully notified in advance.
External link
- Text of agreement from Avalon Project (http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/britian/br1817m.htm)
- Rush-Bagot Agreement (http://www.aandc.org/research/rush-bagot_agreement.html)