What is Battle of New Orleans?
[[File:Battle of New Orleans.jpg|thumb|right|300px|{{Center|The Battle of New Orleans. General Andrew Jackson stands on the parapet of his earthworks repelling the British.}}]] The '''Battle of New Orleans''' was the last battle fought in the [[War of 1812]] between the [[British people|British]] and the [[Americans]]. It involved a series of smaller battles leading up to the main engagement on January 8, 1815. The British had 8,000 [[infantry]] in the line out of a total strength of 11,000. The British force was [[commander|commanded]] by General Edward Pakenham. The Americans were under the command of [[Andrew Jackson|General Andrew Jackson]]. The battle took place at the Plains of Chalmette a few miles from [[New Orleans]]. ==Background== After the 1793 Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the [[American Revolutionary War]], the British were still present on the American [[continent]]. They were trading with the [[Native Americans|Indians]] and at times were inciting them against the Americans. The British were [[blockade|blockading]] American [[ship]]s, capturing American [[Seaman|seamen]] and forcing them into the [[Royal Navy]] to fight against [[Napoleon]].<ref name=Remini6.8>Robert V. Remini, ''The Battle of New Orleans'' (New York: Penguin Group, 1999), pp. 6-8</ref> On June 18, 1812, President [[James Madison|Madison]] signed the formal declaration of war against Britain. The fighting began in [[Canada]] in an attempt to cut off the British supply lines. At that same time, the British were fighting Napoleon but when that war ended these skilled troops were sent to Canada. The Americans did not have a [[standing army]] as such and was still composed of individual [[militia]]s, men who signed up for short periods of time. By 1813, the British had won nearly every major [[battle]] in the war. In August 24, 1814 The British entered [[Washington D.C.]], and burned the Capitol to the ground.<ref name=Remini6.8/> ==Treaty of Ghent== On December 24, 1814 the [[Treaty of Ghent]] was signed ending t