The Battle of New Orleans was a diminutive battle with a huge impact on the United States, understanding why Great Britain attacked New Orleans, the importance of America taking advantage of intelligence gaps to win the battle, and the consequences of the British taking control of New Orleans.
On December 24, 1814, Great Britain and the U.S. signed the Treaty of Ghent in Belgium. The peace treaty was supposed to end the War of 1812; however, the news took some time to reach the U.S. The battle occurred because the British wanted control of the largest city in the west; Great Britain planned to launch an attack on New Orleans to control key infrastructure. The British was hoping to capture the city so they could separate Louisiana from the rest of the country. On January 8, 1815, both sides collided in one of the fight’s biggest and most critical engagements, the bloody Battle of New Orleans (History.com, 2009). …show more content…
America won the battle by luck, using a bandage army to defeat Great Britain. After all, the U.S. was a newly found nation. Being the superior force, Great Britain should have never loss this battle. The British were being devious while the treaty was being signed in Belgium. If they won have the battle, Great Britain would have power on the Mississippi river trade, regardless of the treaty being signed. Great Britain did not plan thoroughly or apply the appropriate counter measures. U.S was a newly formed nation and Great Britain could not capitalize on their opportunity. They were being arrogant and walked into a planned assault. General Pakenham had a good idea to attack at night, but the route he chose was heavy occupied by U.S. troops. The British should have sent out a reconnaissance team to do surveillance. By taking a different approach to the shore, there would be a different ending to the battle. Instead, He led his troops in a choke point; they stood no chance against General Jackson’s cannons. America as we know today would be very different if Great Britain won the battle, the nation would not be a democracy.
On the other hand, this battle showed with great leadership anything could be accomplished. General Jackson’s innovation helped put together a small army and tactical plan to demolish the mighty British. The use of the swampy terrain and small water canals