Public Domain Picture: The Fire of 1814 at the U.S. Capitol

America's second war with Great Britain was declared in 1812. The following year American forces invaded Upper Canada and burned the governor's house and legislative hall in York (now Toronto). In retaliation, a British military expedition sailed up the Patuxent River aiming to destroy the public buildings in Washington. After a brief battle British troops entered the deserted city on the evening of August 24, 1814. At the U.S. Capitol, troops came armed with gun powder and torches. Damage was heaviest in the section of the north wing occupied by the Library of Congress. The Senate and House chambers were both destroyed, yet all of the south wing's first floor rooms survived. Many of the great neo-classical designs built under President Jefferson's supervision were lost; the nation had suffered a humiliating blow to its honor. This official Architect of the Capitol photograph is being made available for educational, scholarly, news or personal purposes (not advertising or any other commercial use). When any of these images is used the photographic credit line should read “Architect of the Capitol.” These images may not be used in any way that would imply endorsement by the Architect of the Capitol or the United States Congress of a product, service or point of view. For more information visit www.aoc.gov.

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Capitolbuilding, Historic, Uscapitol

March 29, 2014