American and British diplomats sign the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812. Signed in Belgium, news of the brokered peace did not reach the United States for some time, and Andrew Jackson won a decisive victory over a larger British force at the Battle of New Orleans two weeks later.
A fire in the U.S. Capitol burns through the Library of Congress, destroying most of the Jefferson library. Following the War of 1812, Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his 6,487-volume collection to Congress.
Founding Father Dr. Benjamin Rush is born in Philadelphia. Dr. Rush signed the Declaration of Independence and served as Surgeon General of the Continental Army. A strong advocate of the Constitution, Rush later helped found Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.
