The Battle of New Orleans took place on the grounds of the Chalmette
and McCarty plantations along the Mississippi River below the city. The
central defensive feature of the battlefield was “Line Jackson,” located
along the Rodriguez Canal separating the plantations. From this position,
constructed over a two week period by the Americans, Jackson’s men
withstood an artillery bombardment and one minor attack prior to the
main British assault on January 8, 1815. The attack failed to crack the
American defenses and cost the British over two thousand casualties.
Jackson’s victory here was the greatest of the war and ranks as one of
the most decisive victories in American military history.

Chalmette National Battlefield, a division of Jean Laffite National Historical Park, is located on St. Bernard Highway (Louisiana Highway 46), six miles from New Orleans. The park features a driving tour of the battlefield, and a partial reconstruction of the Rodriguez Canal Line. Chalmette National Cemetery, containing the graves of four Americans who fought in the War of 1812, adjoins the site.