Although the Treaty of Ghent was signed before the Battle of New Orleans, allAmericans heard the news of the Battle of New Orleans before they heard the news ofthe Treaty of Ghent. This sequence gave rise to the widespread belief that AndrewJackson had won the war, a belief which Jackson happily encouraged. Andrew Jackson,already celebrated on the frontier for his defeat of the Creeks, now became a nationalhero on a scale unknown since the death of Washington, although this reputation waspartly based on an erroneous understanding of events. On the other hand, if Jackson hadbeen defeated at New Orleans, the British might have resumed the war, withunknowable consequences. No one could ever be
