Battle of New Orleans

On 8 January 1815, British forces under Major General Edward Pakenham attacked Andrew Jackson’s fortified American line at Chalmette, southeast of New Orleans. The assault failed with heavy British casualties, including Pakenham, despite the participation of experienced regulars and West India regiments in the wider campaign.

The battle occurred after the Treaty of Ghent had been signed but before news of the peace reached the armies in Louisiana. Its memory became central to American interpretations of the War of 1812 and Andrew Jackson’s political reputation, while the campaign also involved free Black militia, enslaved people and Black British colonial troops.