The Burning of
the City of Washington
G. Thompson
The Taking of the City of Washington
in America. London: 1814
Wood engraving
Prints & Photographs Division
(7.9)
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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.
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Library of Congress
