Although the Battle of New Orleans was fought after the peace treaty concluding the War of 1812 had been signed in Europe, it proved to be the most decisive battle of the war and the one that would live on longest in American memory. That memory and the political consequences of the Battle of New Orleans made it the seminal event of the War of 1812, a war that otherwise has been largely forgotten by the American public.

The battle itself was an impressive military victory for U.S. forces, and most especially for their commander, Andrew Jackson. Jackson arrived in New Orleans on December 1, 1814, fresh off a victory against Native Americans in the Creek War. American commanders had expected the British to attack the Gulf Coast near New Orleans for the entire duration of the War of 1812, and now that British Admiral Alexander...