Jean Lafitte and his thousand pirates plunder all passing ships for the wealth, but refuses to attack any vessel flying the American flag. Lafitte is offered a pardon by Andrew Jackson, if he and his men fight by his side against the powerful British redcoats. Lafitte stands with Jackson against the British at the Battle of New Orleans. Oscar nominee for Best Cinematography.

"The War of 1812 saw America threatened on every side. Encouraged by the British, Indian tribes attacked settlers in the West, while the Royal Navy terrorized the coasts. By mid-1814, President James Madison's generals had lost control of the war in the North, losing battles in Canada. Then British troops set the White House ablaze, and a feeling of hopelessness spread across the country. Into this dire situation stepped Major General Andrew Jackson....

"Whether or not the United States 'won' the war of 1812, two engagements that occurred toward the end of the conflict had an enormous influence on the development of American identity: the successful defenses of the cities of Baltimore and New Orleans. Both engagements bolstered national confidence and spoke to the elan of citizen soldiers and their militia officers. The Battle of New Orleans--perhaps because it punctuated the war, lent itself to...

At large during the most colorful period in New Orleans' history, from just after the Louisiana Purchase through the War of 1812, privateers Jean and Pierre Laffite made life hell for Spanish merchants on the Gulf. Pirates to the US Navy officers who chased them, heroes to the private citizens who shopped for contraband at their well-publicized auctions, the brothers became important members of a filibustering syndicate that included lawyers, bankers,...