The burning of Washington

On the evening of 24 August 1814, the residents of Washington City (now Washington DC) watched in horror as their home was set ablaze. The capital of the United States was under attack by British troops, and soon some of the most important government buildings were also in flames, including the Capitol Building (where the US Congress met) and the President’s House (now known as the White House). It was the first time since the American War of Independence that a foreign power had captured the city.

Since June 1812, the United States had been at war with Great Britain in a conflict known as the War of 1812. [Confusingly the conflict would