It was 200 years ago today that the British marched into Washington without any real opposition, and burned the city down - an act of revenge after Americans had burned Kingston (in Canada) down.
British General Robert Ross had led the British to a decisive, and surprisingly easy, victory over American forces at the Battle of Bladensburg, leaving them to march into the nation's capital without significant opposition of any sort.
Ross and his men entered the White House and saw the dinner table set, and enjoyed a meal while there, sarcastically toasting to the United States, before setting the White House on fire. They set almost every single government building on fire as well, including the then not quite finished Capitol building.
President Madison had fled Washington before the British entered the city, but he had seen the flames that engulfed the city.
The First Lady, however, had rather courageously and heroically stayed behind to assure that a famous portrait of George Washington be salvaged.
Ross and the rest of the British were taken by surprise by a very intense and fierce storm that slowed them down and even caused casualties within their ranks, as they fled Washington.
Days after the British burned down Washington, President Madison returned and swore that Washington would be rebuilt.
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