New Orleans is a port city on the Mississippi river in the state of Louisiana in the southern United States. During the War of 1812, it was the site of the Battle of New Orleans, during which British forces attempted to capture the city. Prior to the American Civil War of 1861–65, the city was a center of the slave trade. On 30 July 1866, the New Orleans Massacre took place as white Democrats attacked a demonstration of predominantly African-American Republicans. The city suffered severe damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The city is known for its French, Spanish, Creole, and African American influences, annual Mardi Gras celebration, and Cajun cuisine. It is commonly known as the birthplace of jazz.