Beauty and Booty: Myths of the Battle of New Orleans
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Presented by
The Sioux City Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and The Betty Strong Encounter Center
The Betty Strong Encounter Center will present “Beauty and Booty: Myths of the Battle of New Orleans” with Dr. Don Hickey at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10. Admission will be free.
In his presentation, the Wayne State College professor of history will examine one of the most iconic battles in American history and the mythology it has become encrusted in over the years.
The Jan. 8, 1815, battle pitted a U.S. mixed force under Andrew Jackson against British regulars, who referred to the motely amateurs they faced as “Dirty Shirts.” Facing heavy enemy fire from behind an impenetrable U.S. defensive line, the British sustained heavy casualties before withdrawing. The result was one of the most lopsided defeats in British history and one of the most spectacular in U.S. history. The stunning one-sided carnage changed America and stunned the world.
Hickey will begin his presentation with general comments on where myths come from and why they are so enduring. Next, he’ll discuss leading myths of the battle.
"The Battle of New Orleans was fought after the peace treaty had been signed (but not yet ratified) ending the War of 1812,” says Hickey. “The battle played a central role in how Americans remembered the conflict. That memory shaped the postwar world for decades and has continued to reverberate through history ever since. Little wonder that such an important event in American history has been subject to so many myths and misconceptions."
New Yorker magazine has described Hickey as “the dean of 1812 scholarship.” He has written eleven books and more than a hundred articles, mainly on the War of 1812 and its causes.
Hickey, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, is best known for his books, “The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict” (University of Illinois Press) and “Nebraska Moments: Glimpses of Nebraska’s Past” (University of Nebraska Press). He will bring copies of his recent on the Battle of New Orleans and offer it for sale at a discount.