Whether or not the United States won the war of 1812, two engagements that occurred toward the end of the conflict had an enormous influence on the development of American identity the successful defenses of the cities of Baltimore and New Orleans. Both engagements bolstered national confidence and spoke to the élan of citizen soldiers and their militia officers. The Battle of New Orleansperhaps because it punctuated the war, lent itself to frontier mythology, and involved the larger-than-life figure of Andrew Jacksonbecame especially important in popular memory. In Glorious Victory, leading War of 1812 scholar Donald R. Hickey recounts the New Orleans campaign and Jacksons key role in the battle.Drawing on a lifetime of research, Hickey tells the story of Americas forgotten conflict.
