NPSHistory.com keeps the administrative histories, handbooks and reports for Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve.
📚 Learn More at NPSHistory.com →On March 17, 1962, Congress established Jean Lafitte National Historical Park to protect the Louisiana bayou and the historic battlefields where Andrew Jackson defeated the British in the War of 1812.
The park preserves six distinct sites, including the Chalmette Battlefield where Jackson's forces defeated British regulars on January 8, 1815. Jean Lafitte was a pirate and privateer who fought alongside Jackson against the British, earning a pardon for his service. The park encompasses pristine bayou habitat and interprets Creole and Acadian cultural heritage.
From the internal review records: “Wayside describes the effects of rising sea levels, subsidence, and warming climate on the lands and people of southern Louisiana. Wayside does not disparage industry or the federal government, just states the facts as they are.”
Why this matters: Jean Lafitte protects a crucial moment in American military history and the unique cultural landscape of the Louisiana bayou. Over 1.5 million people visit this site each year.
Wayside describes the effects of rising sea levels, subsidence, and warming climate on the lands and people of southern Louisiana. Wayside does not disparage industry or the federal government, just states the facts as they are.
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