i heard that the english burnt down the white house in Washington D.C. USA.?

Question

i think the person who told me stated it was during a war for independance they had. is this true, did it really happen?

Answer 1

Ok for the record, it was a few Scottish guys from Canada dressed up like savages, and a sh*tload of native Indians led by Tecumseth's brother, the Prophet as he was called. It was near the end of the War of 1812, and was payback for the Americans burning down Upper Canada's capital of York (now Toronto) and quite possibly in retaliation for the death of the Northern Tribes Confederacy leader Tecumseth at the Battle of the Thames the previous autumn. Canada at the time was under English rule, and a few Englishmen may have aided, but the brains of the operation belonged to a Scot named Robert Dickson.

Answer 2

Indeed the British did raid the the U.S. capital in 1814 in one of a handful of land actions during the War of 1812. During the course of the attack they torched the White House and the U.S. Capitol, in the latter using the records of the Supreme Court (which was then housed in the basement of the Capitol) as part of the tinder to set the building afire.

During this same raid the British navy sailed up the Chesapeake Bay and began shelling the entrance to the port of Baltimore which was defended by Fort McHenry. The successful defense was the subject of a poem by Francis Scott Key, and later became the national anthem--the Star Spangled Banner.

The final land action in the United States took place in New Orleans in 1815 when Andrew Jackson achieved a decisive victory over British forces seeking to capture the city. Unbeknownst to either side, however, a peace had already been signed, but news of it had not reached New Orleans.

Answer 3

War of 1812, not the War of Insurrection. British troops in Canada stormed through Washington and completely overran the Americans. Britain had an oppurtunity to force the fledgling USA back into the Empire, but having taught them a lesson, and consolidating it's power in India, as well as establishing new colonies in Australia, Africa and the West Indies convinced them their was no real need for more territory in North America.

Answer 4

oooh, oooh, Fleming, you are such a Brit!
In the early 1800s, the Americans were still being treated as a break-away colony of the British. The British Navy was impressing American sailors, intercepting American commerce and generally harassing the American MERCHANT fleet. The American government authorized privateers and the War was on.
On the sea, the Americans were very effective, considering they had such a miniscule navy (six large frigates, no ships-of-the-line) soundly trouncing the British in all but one of their encounters. But on land, the Americans were complete tyros in 1812, and the British managed to march into Washington, D.C. virtually unopposed, where they proceeded to burn the presidential residence and other public buildings. Dolly Madison (James' wife) rescued copies of the Constitution, paintings, furniture and other important stuff before the Brits torched the place, which was later rebuilt to a much higher standard, thank-you very much.
"Insurrection" my patoot!

Answer 5

This happened during the War of 1812.

Answer 6

this may clarify what and why this occurred. The Burning of Washington befell in August 1814, in the course of the continental North-American conflict of 1812 between the British Empire and america of u.s.. British forces occupied Washington, D.C. and set fireplace to many public homes. The centers of the U.S. authorities, mutually with the White abode, were usually destroyed, in spite of the reality that strict self-discipline and the British commander's orders to burn purely public homes are credited with retaining the city's deepest homes. Historians assert that the attack became in retaliation for the yank looting of York, higher Canada (now Toronto) after the conflict of York in 1813, and the burning down of the Parliament homes of larger Canada. The British military commanders stated they chosen to attack Washington "because of the more beneficial political bring about all probability to result,"Governor-time-honored Sir George Provost of Canada wrote to the Admirals in Bermuda calling for a retaliation for the yank sacking of York and requested their permission and help interior the type the availability of naval factors. on the time, it became seen against the civilised regulations of conflict to burn a non-protection rigidity facility and the people had not purely burned the Parliament yet to boot looted and burned deepest homes and warehouses. extra evidence of the retaliation became that when the restricted British burning of a few public centers, the British left. there became no territory that they had to occupy and no protection rigidity facility that they had planned to attack

Answer 7

War of 1812. James Madison was in office. Legend says that his wife, Dolley, ran back into the White House to save a painting of George Washington or a flag...I don't remember which.

Answer 8

This was done by the British in the War of 1812.

Answer 9

It was the war of 1812

Answer 10

During the War of 1812. It's ok, we charged them with arson and having an open fire without a permit.