A group of students from Frederick Douglas High School play members of the Free Men of Color during the 195th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812 at Chalmette Battlefield on Friday, January 8, 2010.    

Slaves as well as free Black men comprised two battalions, called the “Free Men of Color,” and fought with several other units in the Battle of New Orleans, the final battle of the War of 1812. Their role helped the Americans clinch a victory over British forces. During the war, several northern states, including New York and Pennsylvania, recruited entire regiments of Black soldiers and even some southern states like Louisiana and North Carolina enlisted Black soldiers.

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(Photo: Times-Picayune/Landov)