91����

The Opportunity

Preserve some of the most important acres from the War of 1812 that we will EVER be able to save! This is likely the LAST and certainly the LARGEST piece of the Battle of New Orleans we’ll ever get the chance to save.

These 40 acres are facing an extraordinary threat. The tract is zoned for heavy industrial use, and if we don’t save it now, it will most certainly be developed for that purpose and lost forever.

This land is adjacent to a National Cemetery where soldiers from the War of 1812, the Civil War, and even the Vietnam War are buried, making this property even more important to our history and for those who fought and died.

The total cost is $3.6 million, but thanks to early commitments from a few donors plus anticipated state and federal grants, the amount we need to raise is less than one-third the total cost — $1,006,582. Every dollar you give will be multiplied in impact $4-to-$1!

The History

War of 1812

Sometimes referred to as the “Second War of Independence,” the War of 1812 was the first large-scale test of our new country’s military on the world stage.

It’s remarkable to think that some American soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War were only in their 60s in 1812. That’s when Congress, for the first time in history, declared war on Great Britain, the very same foreign nation we fought in the 1770s-1780s, and one that still stood among the world’s greatest military powers.

The British Navy was impressing American sailors, and the British government was aiding Native American tribes in their attacks on Americans on the frontier. The first battles raged on the high seas, with more than 30 fierce naval battles in all, in places like Niagara, Lake Erie, and Plattsburgh — as well as across the open north Atlantic Ocean.

But the Second War of Independence unfolded on land as well. One battle occurred outside our then-new capital city, Washington, D.C., where the British burned the White House and other government buildings. Another was in Baltimore, at Fort McHenry, where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the lyrics of “The Star Spangled Banner.” And the final battle was in New Orleans.  

Battle of New Orleans – Chalmette Plantation

Much was at stake. Despite their recent repulse at Baltimore, the British believed taking New Orleans and seizing the Mississippi River would give them a potential stranglehold on American trade and transportation in the West. And so, they gathered their forces and prepared for battle on the lands of Chalmette Plantation.

It was the site of the British position and offers the opportunity to interpret the battlefield from the British perspective and help complete the story. It’s adjacent to land preserved by the National Park Service at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.

And it’s been a top preservation priority in the U.S. since the national park was created in 1939!

Donate now

Here’s what happened on this site: During the Battle of New Orleans, U.S. and British forces maneuvered around and through the tract. Elements of Jackson’s army marched past and likely over the tract prior to an engagement with Col. William Thornton’s British force on the night of December 23, 1814.

Jackson later withdrew over the tract and established a position along the Rodriguez Canal. In the days that followed, the Americans began building earthworks that became known as “Line Jackson,” successfully repulsing two attempts by the British to breach the line.

Then, on January 8, 1815, the British launched a major assault led by Gen. Sir Edward M. Pakenham, brother-in-law of the Duke of Wellington. About 400 yards separated the British from Jackson’s position. As the infantry moved forward, they came under intense American artillery fire, and the British ranks withered away. Among the casualties was Pakenham himself, mortally wounded in a futile attempt to rally his troops. The British lost around 2,000 men in a matter of 30 minutes, forcing them to call off any further efforts.

The British withdrew from New Orleans a few weeks later. Word of Jackson’s victory reached Washington on February 4; news of the Treaty of Ghent (ratified in late December 1814) arrived ten days later and was approved by the Senate on February 16.

Make History in New Orleans

The fledgling nation had proved victorious in its second struggle for independence, and the land we are trying to save today became symbolic of that victory.

Unfortunately, more than two centuries of development in the area have altered the battlefield landscape. As a result, much of the Chalmette Battlefield and the land that witnessed the Battle of New Orleans has been lost to modern encroachment.

These 40 acres can still be preserved to tell the full story. If we can save this land today, not only would success in our campaign significantly improve the historic viewshed from the cemetery, but we would permanently save land hallowed by the men who fought, bled, and died, and those who have died in defense of America since.

And as a very special offer, if you give $50 or more to support this once-in-a-lifetime War of 1812 campaign, you’ll receive our NEW Battle of New Orleans Challenge Coin, to keep and cherish forever!

Donate now