During my visit to New Orleans, I made the 20-minute car ride from the French Quarter to Chalmette Battlefield. If you’ve never heard of the Battle of New Orleans, don’t worry. Neither had my 20-year New Orleans resident driver! It took place as part of the War of 1812, which many consider a forgotten war. Though forgotten, it was significant. 

The British held the belief that the United States was born out of Britain’s weariness for war, not a legitimate victory by the Americans. For the years between the conclusion of the American Revolution and the eventual War of 1812, the British and other European countries treated the fledgling nation with disdain. They believed the American Experiment was doomed to fail. In addition, Europe found itself locked in the Napoleonic Wars. Desperate for sailors to man their vast naval fleet, the British began to impress (kidnap) American sailors into service on their ships.  

For this and other reasons, President James Madison signed a declaration of war against Britain in June 1812. The lasting impact of the war was no doubt the Battle of New Orleans. In this post, let’s discuss 7 interesting things about this battle. Here we go! 

#1 The Battle of New Orleans occurred after the treaty ending the War of 1812 was signed. 

The Battle of New Orleans was fought at Chalmette Battlefield on January 8, 1815. Unbeknownst to the fighters, the representatives of the American and British governments had signed the Treaty of Ghent, ending hostilities between the two countries on December 24, 1814! The treaty did specifically state that fighting between the United States and Britain would not stop until both governments ratified the treaty. Congress ratified the treaty on February 15, 1815. So technically, the battle did not occur after the war officially ended. It’s still a cool fact, though! 

#2 The battle made future President Andrew Jackson a national hero.

Andrew Jackson had already gained notoriety with his victory in the Creek War over the past year. However, New Orleans is where he became a national hero. He arrived in the city still nursing a shoulder injury from a Nashville gunfight and suffering from dysentery. As his nickname Old Hickory suggests, though, Jackson was tough. Despite his ailments, he got to planning the city’s defense straight away. Britain’s attacking force consisted of 8,000 professional soldiers, most of whom were veterans in the Napoleonic Wars. Jackson’s defense, on the other hand, comprised of 4,000 or so army regulars, militiamen, Choctaw Indians, free men of color, and New Orleans aristocrats. In only 30 minutes, his ragtag group defeated the Redcoats and effectively ran the British off of American shores for the last time. 

#3 Another hero of the battle was…a pirate!

I intentionally left out one group who took part in the battle. Jean Lafitte and his Baratarian pirates played a crucial role. First, Lafitte provided Jackson with details of the British plans after a British naval commander tried to sway the pirate to their side. Second, about 50 Baratarians manned the guns from American ships and land batteries that wreaked havoc on the British during the battle. Although he was initially skeptical of the pirate, Lafitte became invaluable to Jackson as a terrain advisor and unofficial aide-de-camp. 

#4 Jackson’s opponent at Chalmette was the Duke of Wellington’s brother-in-law.

After the death of Major General Robert Ross in the Battle of Baltimore, the British were in need of a replacement to lead the war in North America. This fell on Major General Sir Edward Pakenham, the brother-in-law of the Duke of Wellington. Pakenham, in his own right, was seen as a promising officer for his tactical expertise and successes in the West Indies and Napoleonic Wars. Pakenham’s first major move in North America was to capture New Orleans. Unfortunately for Pakenham and the British, this was also his last. On the plains of Chalmette, Pakenham’s horse was killed and he wounded in the knee by grapeshot. After attempting to mount another horse, Pakenham took a shot in the arm that proved to be fatal. 

#5 The British Plans for New Orleans would cut America in two.

The British planned to capture New Orleans, which would allow them to control the whole Mississippi River and meet up with their forces coming down from Canada. This would cut the United States off from its territory gained in the Louisiana Purchase that nearly doubled the size of the country. This, combined with the British control of the seas and Canada, would effectively trap the Americans in their own land. It’s difficult to predict how this would have impacted the country. The Treaty of Ghent stated that all lands shall return to pre-war hands. But the rapid growth of the British Empire later in that century makes one wonder if they’d honor the treaty to return such a great prize. 

#6 The Battle of New Orleans was one of the few bright spots in a mostly disastrous war for America. 

Outside the win at Chalmette and the exploits of the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides), the War of 1812 was mostly disastrous for the United States. The American campaign against Canada failed miserably. Furthermore, the British burned down Washington, including the US Capitol building and White House, forcing President Madison to flee. The American people’s morale was diminished almost to zero. The New England states began talking about secession and the US government was not in a position to stop them. This last point is most interesting, considering what unfolded a few decades later causing the Civil War. The win at Chalmette gave the American people much-needed hope and a sense of patriotism. 

#7 Many consider it the United States’ first legitimate military victory.

This may seem an odd thing to say, considering the United States defeated the British during the American Revolution. However, the American Revolution was mostly about holding on to prove the Americans weren’t going anywhere. Even at Yorktown (the last battle of the revolution), the besieged British dealt heavy losses to the Americans. The British thought that taking New Orleans would be a cake walk. In fact, their naval commander, Admiral Cochrane, stated he’d be eating Christmas dinner in New Orleans. Jackson had other plans. In what I can only call old timey tough talk, Jackson responded: “That may be so, but I shall be seated at the head of the table.” As it turned out, the Battle of New Orleans was America’s proverbial “punch in the mouth” to the British becoming the last major engagement between the two countries to this day. 

Learn more about the Battle of New Orleans 

The Battle of New Orleans isn’t something covered much in school history books. However, it was extremely significant to the development of the United States. If visiting New Orleans, I highly recommend a trip to Chalmette Battlefield to learn more. The visitors center has some neat exhibits and a short film. The battlefield itself has a reconstruction of the American ramparts and a 1.25 mile loop trail with information along the way. The trail also provides entry into Chalmette National Cemetery where participants from the War of 1812, Civil War, and Vietnam War are laid to rest. 

If you want to learn more about the Battle of New Orleans from the comfort of your own home, I recommend two books: The Battle of New Orleans by Robert Remini and Patriotic Fire by Winston Groom. Both give great accounts of the battle, though Remini focuses on Andrew Jackson while Groom gives a spotlight to Jean Laffite as well. 

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Make sure to check out my post on 5 Things History to Do in New Orleans for other history-related ideas on your trip to New Orleans.