NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WMOT) -- It was during this week in 1812 that one of Tennessee’s most famous sons led American troops against the British in the Battle of New Orleans.
Most Tennesseans recognize Andrew Jackson as one of the nation’s early presidents, but a visit to Jackson’s mid-state home, The Hermitage, suggests most are not aware of Jackson’s role in this pivotal battle.
Patrons, some with audio-tour headsets and others without, visited Andrew Jackson’s mansion on a recent winter day, snapped photographs of his tomb, walked inside the diminutive and primitive slave quarters, and read historical plaques throughout the 350-acre estate.
When asked about their knowledge of Jackson’s exploits, some guests responded with insightful answers, with one man recalling Jackson’s political influence. “I knew he was the President,” he said. “I knew he was famous for Jacksonian democracy.” A female guest noted Jackson’s relationship with Native Americans. “I remember a lot about the trail of tears. So I feel like most of what i learned was pretty negative actually.”
But there were also some not-so-insightful answers. “I guess just the involvement maybe in the Civil War,” claimed one gentleman. “And the little bit that I know about that.”
Dr. Tom Kanon, the author of Tennesseans at War 1812-15 who tagged along to fill in some historical gaps. He kindly responded, “Well that’s interesting because Andrew Jackson actually died before the Civil War.” The guest chuckled and replied, “Well then that’s a problem.”
Kanon talked with the guest about Jackson’s role in the War of 1812 and the Battle of New Orleans in particular.
“Well that was Andrew Jackson’s calling card, that was his claim to fame,” Kanon said. “And probably without that battle and the success he had at that battle, you may not even be visiting this place today because he became nationally famous because of that battle.”
The Battle of New Orleans still resonated within American culture more than a century later, as Johnny Horton’s song Battle of New Orleans reached number one on the Billboard Top 100 chart in 1959. The opening stanza specifically referenced Jackson:
“In 1814 we took a little trip
Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip
We took a little bacon and we took a little beans
And we caught the bloody British in a town in New Orleans”
Jackson continues to be associated with the song to this day, as one guest recalled “I mostly knew the song the Battle of New Orleans, where they light the gator, and the gator loses his mind. My dad used to sing that song all the time.”
Inside of Jackson’s mansion, an interpreter noted how Jackson would brag about the Battle of New Orleans.
“After that battle the state of Tennessee gave him this golden sword. And what he did with this was he actually had it on a table so that the people who walked in would see it and ask about it,” the interpreter told a dozen attentive guests as they gazed inside the 19th Century parlor room. “If they asked about it he could tell them the whole story about the battle.”
Kanon
argued the military victory propelled Jackson’s fame and political career.
“That battle, because of the lopsided victory that the Americans had over the British on that day, launched Jackson into national celebrity status in a way,” Kannon said. “And led him on a political career that eventually led him to the presidency and the White House. So he is the pivotal figure for Tennessee, if not the entire nation, for the War of 1812.”
The Hermitage is commemorating the Battle of New Orleans by offering free admission on Thursday, January 8th. Guests can listen to lectures, hear 19th Century music, and view the new exhibit, Andrew Jackson: Born for a Storm.
Tom Kanon is an archivist at the Tennessee State Library & Archives in Nashville and holds a doctoral degree in Public History from Middle Tennessee State University. He is considered the leading authority on Tennessee’s involvement in the War of 1812.
The University of Alabama Press has recently published Dr. Kanon’s first book: Tennesseans at War 1812-1815: Andrew Jackson, the Creek War, the War of 1812, available through Amazon.comor by contacting the author at tomkanon13@gmail.com.