Slaves, Soldiers, and Free Men in the Battle of New Orleans

Adam Rothman

This paper investigates the histories of three groups of people of African descent whose lives intersected at the Battle of New Orleans. Slaves in the sugar parishes of Louisiana, free people of color in New Orleans, and soldiers in the British West India Regiments all participated in the battle, but in very different ways and for very different reasons. A comparative history of these groups before, during, and after the British invasion of Louisiana reveals the wide range of political strategies and corporate identities adopted by people of African descent in the Americas during the early nineteenth century. This comparison also suggests the determinative impact of state power on politics and culture in the Afro-Atlantic world.

[WP# 98024]