The War of 1812 began June 18, 1812, and lasted until early 1815. President James Madison requested a declaration of war to protect American ships from being stopped and searched by the British. He also wanted to prevent Britain from forming alliances with Native Americans. His decision was influenced by Americans in the West and South, who hoped to expand the United States by seizing control of both Canada and Florida. American attempts to invade Canada during the war failed but U.S. forces won a number of important naval battles. British forces invaded parts of the United States and captured the American capital Washington, forcing President Madison to flee. Andrew Jackson decisively defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, after the Treaty of Ghent (1814) had already ended the war and returned captured territories. Americans saw the War of 1812 as a triumph that showed the new nation could fend off foreign threats.