On January 8, 1815, future president Andrew Jackson began the Battle of New Orleans, two weeks after the Treaty of Ghent was signed. After more than two years of fighting, American and British diplomats met in Belgium in December 1814 to talk peace and end the War of 1812. At the same time, British troops in America prepared a three-pronged invasion they hoped would also bring an end to the war. After their first two attempts at Baltimore and Plattsburg failed, the British set their sights on New Orleans, a strategically important seaport that served as a gateway to the west.