Louisiana: Colonial Era

On January 8, 1815, General Andrew Jackson led 5,000 Tennessee volunteers, Louisiana militia (both white and free people of color), and Choctaw Indian allies in defense of New Orleans against a British invasion almost twice as strong. Technically the final battle of the War of 1812, the Battle of New Orleans occurred two weeks after a peace treaty had been signed in Europe. The armies in Louisiana had not yet been informed. The battle was a decisive American victory in a war that had largely been fought to an unsatisfying stalemate. Because Americans got news of the victory in New Orleans before news of the treaty, the battle became etched in American memory as the reason the British signed the peace. In other words, it appeared as though the U.S. had won the war through this glorious battle, even if in reality, it had no bearing on the treaty terms. Importantly as well, it gave French and Black Louisianans the opportunity, for the first time, to prove to the broader American public that they were real American citizens, willing to risk their lives in defense of the republic. And finally, the battle made Andrew Jackson a war hero, later catapulting him to the presidency. 

Special Collections has a variety of manuscript and rare book sources that detail the battle and the experiences of the combatants. Included as well are later memories and depictions of it. 
 

Louisiana -- History -- War of 1812.

Louisiana. Militia.

New Orleans, Battle of, New Orleans, La., 1815.

United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Campaigns.