Andrew Jackson was elected President of the United States in 1828, and Alabama was admitted to the Union in 1819. What do these two things have in common; the battle at Horseshoe Bend where the Jackson defeated the Creek Nation.

Andrew Jackson was a general in 1814 when he ordered General John Coffee, his infantry, and 600 Cherokee and Creek allies to attack the Red Sticks across the Tallapoosa River at Horseshoe Bend. Chief Menawa was wounded, and 800 or more Red Sticks killed, leaving them no choice but to cede 23 million acres of land that would become Alabama.

Today, the Horseshoe Bend Military Park in Alabama has a visitors’ center where you can watch a film and see several displays about the battle and a driving tour along the bend. There is even a narrated tour along the way.