War of 1812 - Attack on Washington, D.C.

During the summer of 1814, American forces were battling against British invaders. It was the "War of 1812," and the U.S. capital was in trouble. According to the Library of Congress:

At about 8 p.m. on the evening of August 24, 1814, British troops under the command of General Robert Ross marched into Washington, D.C., after routing hastily assembled American forces at Bladensburg, Maryland, earlier in the day. Encountering neither resistance nor any United States government officials--President Madison and his cabinet had fled to safety--the British quickly torched the White House, the Capitol, which then housed the Library of Congress, the navy yard, and several American warships. However, most private property was left untouched. In 1815 Congress approved the purchase of Thomas Jefferson's library to replace the one lost in the fire.

This contemporary image, from the Library of Congress, depicts the events. Click on the picture for a better view.