
When Washington Burned
The British Invasion of the Capital and a Nation's Rise from the Ashes
Robert P. Watson
Georgetown University Press
ISBN 13: 9781647123505
ISBN 10:
Available August 01, 2023
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Description
Perhaps no single day in US history was as threatening to the survival of the nation as August 24, 1814, when British forces captured Washington. This unique moment might have significantly altered the nation's path forward, but the event and the reasons why it happened are little remembered by most Americans. When Washington Burned narrates the British campaign and American missteps that led to the fall of the capital city, but also tells the redeeming stories of the courageous young clerks and the bold first lady who risked their lives to save priceless documents from the flames, including the Constitution.