Battle of Bladensburg
Bladensburg, Maryland, USA
What happened
British troops under Major General Robert Ross and Rear Admiral George Cockburn fought American militia and sailors under William Winder and Commodore Joshua Barney. During the War of 1812, a British force marched toward Washington. At Bladensburg, Barney's sailors and guns held the British for a time, but when the British got around the American flank, the militia broke and fled.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It opened the way for the British to capture and burn Washington, the only time the US capital has fallen to a foreign invader. President Madison and most of the government fled.
What came next
That night British troops set fire to the Capitol, the White House and other buildings. A heavy storm helped put out the fires, and the British left after about 26 hours.
Did you know?
The Americans' hasty retreat was mocked as the 'Bladensburg Races' in a poem of 1816.
Timeline
- 24 August 1814The British win at Bladensburg.
- 24 August 1814British troops burn public buildings in Washington.
- 12 September 1814Ross falls at the Battle of North Point.
- December 1815Congress moves into the Old Brick Capitol.