That is unimaginable today, even for a generation that witnessed the fall of the World Trade Center towers and the attack on the Pentagon. It is inconceivable because the enemies in 1814 did not fly over our heads, but marched through the streets; For 26 hours in August, the British enemy marched on Washington, D.C., setting fire to government buildings, including the U.S. Capitol and the White House.Drawing on first-hand accounts, historian Jane Hampton Cook weaves several different narratives together to create a vivid, multi-dimensional account of the Burning of Washington, including the escalation that led to it and the immediate consequences that followed.
From James and Dolly Madison to the British admiral who ordered the burning of the White House, historical figures are brought to life through their experiences of this unprecedented attack. Burning the White House tells the story of a city invaded, a presidential family displaced, a nation humiliated, and an American spirit that has endured despite everything.
