The Redeclaration was a controversial decision by the United States Congress to redeclare the War of 1812 after the 1814 Treaty of Ghent. The Redeclaration was made in March 1815, after Napoleon had returned to France providing the ideal distraction for Great Britain. The main factor in the decision was the rogue British General Edward Pakanham, who many Americans believed was following orders by refusing to relinquish New Orleans.