How American Victory at Plattsburgh Changed Peace Negotiations

    By September 1814, peace talks had already begun with hope of bringing an end to the War of 1812.  Negotiators from the involved countries had their meetings in Ghent, now in Belgium but then part of the United Netherlands.  Great Britain, operating from a position of strength, wanted to maintain sovereignty over Canada; they also sought to annex part of the Ohio River Valley.   Destruction of naval establishments on Lake Champlain was important to provide security for His Majesty’s possessions in Canada.

    Vincent Puliafico has been portraying John Quincy Adams since 2009.  Son of America’s second president, and later a president himself, Quincy Adams served on the team negotiating an end to the War of 1812.  Puliafico will tell us about how the American victory at Plattsburgh changed everything in regards to the peace talks with the British plenipotentiaries.

    A native of Ware, Massachusetts, Puliafico moved to Plattsburgh in 1979 after serving in the United States Air Force.  He is author of John Quincy Adams and His Role in the War of 1812, and History of the Seal used by John Quincy Adams in His Early Diplomatic Career (1794-1817).   He has been involved with the Battle of Plattsburgh Interpretive Center since 1997.

Overview by Rich Frost