The Battle of New Orleans was a military engagement fought on January 8, 1815, during the War of 1812. It took place in and around the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, and involved American forces under the command of General Andrew Jackson and British forces led by General Sir Edward Pakenham. The battle occurred as a result of a British attempt to capture the strategic port city of New Orleans, which controlled access to the Mississippi River and was a key commercial center. The American forces, consisting of a diverse group of regular army troops, militia, pirates, and volunteers, had established a defensive position behind a series of earthworks and canals. The British forces, numbering over 8,000 soldiers, launched a series of frontal assaults on the American positions, but were repelled with heavy casualties. The battle resulted in a decisive American victory, with estimates suggesting that the British suffered over 2,000 casualties, while the Americans lost around 71 killed and 181 wounded. The Battle of New Orleans was one of the largest and most significant battles of the War of 1812, and it had important implications for the outcome of the conflict and the future of the United States.