Once celebrated on par with the Fourth of July, January 8th, the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, is no longer a day of reverence for most Americans. Although the United States' stunning 1815 defeat of the British army south of New Orleans gave rise to the presidency of Andrew Jackson, the Democratic Party, and the legend of Jean Laffite, the battle has not been a national holiday since 1861. The author explores how generations of Americans have consciously revised, reinterpreted, and reexamined the memory of the conflict to fit the cultural and social needs of their time. Combining archival research with deep analyses of music, literature, theater, and film across two centuries of American popular culture, he highlights the myriad ways in which politicians, artists, academics, and ordinary people have rewritten the battle's history. --Publisher's description.

Preface: "a correct remembrance of great events" -- "By the eternal, they shall not sleep on our soil:" the New Orleans Campaign -- "Half a horse and half an alligator:" the Battle of New Orleans in the Era of Good Feelings -- "Under the command of a plain Republican : an American Cincinnatus:" the Battle of New Orleans in the Age of Jefferson -- "The union must and shall be preserved:" the Battle of New Orleans and the American Civil War -- "True daughters of the war:" the Battle of New Orleans at one hundred -- "Not pirate ... privateer:" the Battle of New Orleans and mid-twentieth century popular culture -- "Tourism whetted by the celebration:" the Battle of New Orleans in the twentieth century -- A "rustic and factual" appearance: the Battle of New Orleans at two hundred -- Closing: "what is past is prologue."