The Burning of Washington
Transcript [Music] By April 1814, a coalition of Europe’s great powers forced Napoleon to abdicate the throne of France and go into exile on the island of Elba. Britain was now free to turn its full attention to the war in America. Admiral George Cockburn had been prowling the Chesapeake for a year prior to the British invasion and had become very familiar with the coastline. He knew that the area was weakly defended and advised the British commander-in-chief that Washington, Philadelphia, or Baltimore could be successfully attacked. It was hoped the raids would draw troops away from the Canadian border and avenge the destruction of private property in Upper Canada. The British landed here at Benedict, Maryland. After months at sea the troops were in poor shape and their commanders wondered if they could handle the march through enemy territory in the blazing summer heat. The U.S. forces, which included President James Madison himself, deployed at the crossroads of Bladensburg where th...