Existing comment:
The Destruction of Washington:
The government was slow to realize the pressing danger to America's capital in 1814.
Officials did not expect the British to bother coming so far inland to a city without major commerce. They underestimated the British desire for aggressive retaliation. American successes at sea and attacks in Canada, including the burning of York (now Toronto), wounded British pride.
The preparation of Washington's defenses was inadequate and hurried. British troops landed at Benedict, Maryland, and headed for the city. At Bladensburg on August 24, they were met by an American force of mainly untested militia. The Americans were routed, retreating so hastily that the event was mocked as "the Bladensburg races."
Washington's residents and officials, including the President, took flight. First Lady Dolley Madison supervised the hasty removal of White House treasures. Panicked War Department clerks saved the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and much of George Washington's official correspondence. The British reached Washington the same evening. Entering the White House, officers ate an abandoned supper, took souvenirs and set fire to the building. Soldiers also burned the Capitol, the Treasury and the War and State Department buildings.
The destruction of the capital was a severe blow to American morale and the President's authority. But it did not mark the end of the war. The British withdrew the next day, heading for Baltimore and richer pickings. |