24th August 1814: The Burning of Washington sees British forces during the War of 1812 capture and set fire to many principal public buildings

**Scott Allsop** (0:00)
On the 24th of August, 1814, the burning of Washington saw British forces during the War of 1812 capture and set fire to many principal public buildings in the American capital city. Welcome to HistoryPod.
By 1814, the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte in Europe had freed experienced British troops of service in the War of 1812 in North America. This led British commanders to launch a campaign against the Chesapeake Bay region in an effort to divert American resources and retaliate for the destruction of buildings by American forces during the invasion of Upper Canada the previous year. On the 24th of August, a British force commanded by Major General Robert Ross defeated American militia at Bladensburg, Maryland, clearing the road to Washington, DC. James Madison and members of his government fled the city before the British arrived, which allowed British troops to enter the largely abandoned capital and deliberately set fire to a number of government buildings. These included the United States Capitol, the White House, and the Treasury and War Department buildings. Private homes were generally spared, although some commercial property was also damaged during the occupation.
Although it had limited strategic value in military terms, the British attack demonstrated the vulnerability of the young American Republic during the War of 1812 and temporarily damaged public confidence in the government's ability to defend the capital. Nevertheless, the British remained in Washington for little more than a day before withdrawing. Soon after their departure, a severe thunderstorm passed over the city, helping to extinguish many of the fires, but also causing additional damage. Reconstruction began almost immediately, and both the capital and the White House were rebuilt over the following years, reflecting the determination of the United States to maintain its capital and national institutions.