The British Burning of Washington, August 25, 1814

Canadians wanted revenge with regard to outrages committed through the Usa armies throughout1813. after the actual Battle associated with York in April, American soldiers torched the particularParliament along together with other government buildings involving Upper Canada. WithinDecember, that Equestrian Property For Sale Capitol Hill DC they burned the particular towninvolving Newark, the particular British Army captures Forts George along with Niagara, thentorches nearby towns." dir="ltr">burned the town of Newark towards the ground. Sir GeorgePrevost, Commander-in-Chief with the British forces in Canada, petitioned the actual Britishgovernment for help. their reaction would happen for you to be to send an invasion force of veteransoldiers in order to Washington, D.C.

Panicked Flight through Washington since the British Army Nears

When the British invasion force landed in Benedict, Maryland about August 20, these were lowerthan 50 miles through Washington. Since the particular enemy approached your town more than thesubsequent 3 days, panicked residents fled over the river to end up being able to Virginia. by August24, your day the particular British army dispersed the last Washington defenders at the Battle ofBladensburg, merely 10% of the town's population remained. most of the prominent citizens and alsopoliticians had been gone. Almost All which remained throughout Washington were a fewhomeowners, slaves, servants, government clerks, and the President's wife, Dolley Madison.

Those left out were in a new position to save important Capitol documents, including Congressionalalong with Senate papers, the particular original Declaration regarding Independence as well as theConstitution. The Actual White house staff, at the Very first Lady's direction, rescued your famousportrait associated with George Washington by simply Gilbert Stuart. Dolley Madison was among thefinal individuals to leave Washington before the British arrived.

A British Raiding Party Enters your Town

At eight o'clock in August 24, major General Robert Ross, Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn, and araiding party regarding 200 British soldiers entered Washington's outskirts. the town has beenundefended. The Particular only resistance would become a single volley regarding musket fire viabehind a residence which killed one soldier along with General Ross's horse. Throughout yourresulting chaos, your shooters ran away. The Actual troopers torched the home inside retaliation.

Soon the particular British Union Jack had been flying over Capitol Hill. On coming into the U. S.Capitol, your enemy soldiers marveled at the stateliness in the building and its furnishings. Despitetheir own admiration, your raiding party adopted his or her orders and hang fires utilizing explosivecharges through Congreve rockets. the Capitol, including the Library associated with Congress andalso 3 thousand books, burned brightly.

The British burn Washington

Admiral Cockburn gleefully supervised destruction in the National Intelligencer, a governmentnewspaper that had produced sensationalistic content articles denouncing his exploits. The ActualTreasury buildings, the actual War Office, the particular Arsenal, and also military barracks were set

alight. Your British destroyed each and every government constructing except for the U. S. PatentOffice. Also the particular U. S. Navy yard along with its military shops were about fire, torchedthrough American sailors together with orders to become able to avoid his or her capture.

Nearing midnight, General Ross, Admiral Cockburn, along along with other officers entered theWhite House, as well moment known as the President's House. These People had been delighted foryou to find a banquet involving food and also wine sitting untouched inside the dining room.Servants had prepared the feast with regard to among Dolley Madison's famous parties, yet instead,your victorious enemy gorged on the meal. after dinner, the woman's uninvited friends looted Mrs.Madison's home and hang it ablaze.

The government buildings continued to be ableto burn up until the early afternoon, when asevere lightening storm drenched Washington.for a couple of hours, torrential rains soaked thelocation along with extinguished most of theparticular fires. The Particular thundershowerspawned the tornado that plowed through yourtown and also killed several British occupiers.Shocked through the severity of the storm,General Ross and his raiding party withdrewseveral hrs following your rain stopped. TheyWill had occupied Washington for twenty-sixhours. By Simply August 29, the army has been back aboard their own transports throughoutBenedict.

Aftermath of the Burning of Washington, D. C.

The raid resulted within the destruction of approximately $2 million regarding property. Just AboutAll that remained in the U. S. Capitol and in addition the President's Home were blackenedsandstone walls. The Actual government ultimately rebuilt each structures utilizing these originalwalls.

Americans and Europeans, including British subjects, denounced the particular destruction ofWashington as needlessly cruel and also unnecessary to the war effort. like therefore many events inUsa history, as opposed to demoralizing its citizens, the burning involving Washington energizedAmericans in order to double his or her efforts against Britain.

America had lost confidence within John Armstrong, the particular Secretary regarding War,regarding leaving the particular nation's money with out defenses. He resigned on September 3,1814, and also President Madison replaced him together with James Monroe, formerly the actualSecretary regarding State. Meanwhile, the actual British invaders had been preparing for anycombined territory and sea assault around the town of Baltimore, Maryland.

Sources:

Kevin Ambrose, Dan Henry, Andy Weiss, "The Tornado and the Burning involving Washington,August 25, 1814", Washington Weather, weatherbook.com

Stilson Hutchins, Joseph West Moore, National Capital, Past and also Present, (Washington: TheActual Submit Publishing Company, 1885), archive.org

Edward D. Ingraham, Any Sketch with the Events Which Usually Preceded your Capture associatedwith Washington through the British around the Twenty-Fourth involving August, 1814,(Philadelphia: Carey as well as Hart, 1849), archive.org

Benson J. Lossing, the Pictorial Field-Book of the War involving 1812, (New York: Harper &Brothers, 1868), archive.org

Anthony S. Pitch, "The Burning regarding Washington", White Home History Magazine, Fall 1998