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But it was his unexpected victory at the Battle of New Orleans in early 1815 that thrust Jackson into both the public consciousness and history. He became the “Hero of New Orleans,” a national symbol of an emerging American empire.
The United States achieved its greatest land victory of the War of 1812 at New Orleans. The battle thwarted a British effort to gain control of a critical American port and elevated Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson to national fame. How it ended.
According to Matthew Warshauer, the Battle of New Orleans meant, "defeating the most formidable army ever arrayed against the young republic, saving the nation’ s reputation in the War of 1812, and establishing [Jackson] as America ’ s preeminent hero." [119]
- January 8, 1815
- American victory
- War of 1812
- Andrew Jackson
- Edward Pakenham and ‘Line Jackson’
- Battle of New Orleans Begins
- Line Jackson Holds
- British Lose Ground
- ‘Truly distressing’
- British Casualties
- Impact of The Battle of New Orleans
- Sources
In December 1814, even as diplomats met in Europe to hammer out a truce in the War of 1812, British forces mobilized for what they hoped would be the campaign’s finishing blow. Following military victories against Napoloeonin Europe earlier that year, Great Britain had redoubled its efforts against its former colonies and launched a three-pronged i...
Standing in the way of the British advance was Major General Andrew Jackson, who had rushed to New Orleans’ defense when he learned an attack was in the works. Nicknamed “Old Hickory” for his legendary toughness, Jackson had spent the last year subduing hostile Creek Indians in Alabamaand harassing the redcoats’ operations along the Gulf Coast. The...
Jackson’s ramshackle army was to face off against some 8,000 British regulars, many of whom had served in the Napoleonic Wars. At the helm was Lieutenant General Sir Edward Pakenham, a respected veteran of the Peninsular War and the brother-in-law of the Duke of Wellington. The two sides first came to blows on December 23, when Jackson launched a d...
Despite their imposing fortifications, Lieutenant General Pakenham believed the “dirty shirts,” as the British called the Americans, would wilt before the might of a British army in formation. Following a skirmish on December 28 and a massive artillery duel on New Year’s Day, he devised a strategy for a two-part frontal assault. A small force was c...
The situation on the other side of the line proved even more calamitous. Pakenham had counted on moving under the cover of morning mist, but the fog had risen with the sun, giving American rifle and artillerymen clear sightlines. Cannon fire soon began slashing gaping holes in the British line, sending men and equipment flying. As the British troop...
Pakenham’s plan was quickly unraveling. His men had bravely stood their ground amid the chaos of the American deluge, but a unit carrying ladders needed to scale Line Jackson was lagging behind. Pakenham took it upon himself to lead the outfit to the front, but in the meantime, his main formation was cut to ribbons by rifle and cannon fire. When so...
With the majority of their officers out of commission, the British attack descended into bedlam. A few valiant troops tried to climb the parapets by hand, only to withdraw when they found they had no support. Pakenham’s secondary assault on Jackson’s battery across the river had met with more success, but it was too little, too late. By the time th...
The assault on Jackson’s fortifications was a fiasco, costing the British some 2,000 casualties, including three generals and seven colonels—all of it in the span of only 30 minutes. Amazingly, Jackson’s ragtag outfit had lost fewer than 100 men. Future President James Monroewould later praise the General by saying, “History records no example of s...
Shortly before the British withdrawal, Andrew Jackson reentered New Orleans to the sounds of “Yankee Doodle” and a public celebration worthy of Mardi Gras. Newspapers in the beleaguered city of Washington, D.C.labeled him the national savior. The festivities only continued in the following month, as news of the Treaty of Ghentfinally reached Americ...
The Battle of New Orleans. Louisiana State Museum. Battle of New Orleans Timeline. The Historic New Orleans Collection.
Apr 1, 2024 · Jackson’s triumph at New Orleans provided a shining moment in a conflict that witnessed few victories for the United States. Word reached Washington DC about the battle on February 4. Ten days later, the Treaty of Ghent, ending the war arrived which was soon ratified by the Senate.
Sir John Franklin. Andrew Jackson. Jean Laffite. Battle of New Orleans, (January 8, 1815), U.S. victory against Great Britain in the War of 1812 and the final major battle of that conflict. Both the British and American troops were unaware of the peace treaty that had been signed between the two countries in Ghent, Belgium, a few weeks prior ...
Jun 12, 2006 · Jackson emerged from his victory at New Orleans a national hero. He was able to parlay his popularity into a political base of power that propelled him to the presidency in 1828. As Jackson was leaving the White House at the end of his second term in 1837, a congressman asked him if there had been any point to the Battle of New Orleans.
