“Hail her citizens as brothers”: The Battle of New Orleans and the Fight for Complete Citizenship

From the moment U.S. diplomats secured French Louisiana in 1803, American lawmakers looked askance at the diverse foreign population inhabiting Lower Louisiana.  Viewing their newest inhabitants as politically ignorant and culturally unattached to the Union, American lawmakers hoped to use the Orleans territorial period as an “apprenticeship to liberty.”  They hoped that such a probationary period could assist Louisianans in meeting long-established requirements for citizenship which included fostering an attachment to the Union and obtaining a basic knowledge of republican principles. Through political activism, open professions of affection, and even resisting the intrigues of Aaron Burr, Louisianans attempted to show their suitability for American citizenship.  In 1812, their efforts gained them statehood and much desired citizenship.  Yet an impending war with Great Britain caused Americans to cast dubious glances at their newest countrymen proving that, although citizens, Louisianans were not fully incorporated in the Union.  This paper examines how the Battle of New Orleans allowed Louisianans to dispel such long-standing doubts.  Furthermore, it explores the relationship between military service and citizenship as the historic battle secured what statehood could not bestow—acceptance.  By examining congressional records, newspapers, and private correspondence it becomes evident that the Battle of New Orleans transformed Americans’ suspicions regarding Louisianans into praise and approval.  Despite Louisianans fulfillment of all established citizenship requirements, it was their sacrifice on the battlefield that allowed Americans to hail them as brothers.  The Battle of New Orleans proved a watershed event for Louisianans, but ultimately it demonstrates the dynamic process of American citizenship.  Statehood made Louisianans citizens simply in name: Only after their gallant efforts at Chalmette were Louisianans allowed to be revered as true Americans, illustrating that military sacrifice served as a means for obtaining full incorporation as citizens.