On what date did the British burn Washington, D.C.?

The British burned Washington, D.C., on August 24, 1814, during the War of 1812. British forces entered the capital after defeating American troops at the Battle of Bladensburg earlier that day.

A force of about 4,500 British soldiers and sailors, led on land by Major General Robert Ross and supported by Rear Admiral George Cockburn, captured the city. They set fire to major public buildings, including the Capitol, the presidential mansion—later known as the White House—and the Treasury. The attack was partly retaliation for American destruction in York and other communities in Upper Canada.

President James Madison and much of the government fled before the occupation. Dolley Madison helped preserve important objects, including Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington. A severe thunderstorm extinguished many fires less than four days later, and the British occupation lasted roughly 26 hours. The event is sometimes confused with the later Battle of Baltimore, which followed the Washington raid.