Why did Canada burn down the White House and would they do it again?

Question

As the song goes ....
"The white house burned burned burned and we're the one's who did it!"

SO, why did the Canadians burn down the white house?

And, How is it that the Americans believe they won the war if their national governemnt building was burned down and they did not capture the land they sought?

Answer 1

"Is there really anyone in either country who knows anything about the War of 1812 who would seriously state that Canada burned the public buildings in DC? It is the ultimate non-issue.

The only connection Canada had with the attack on DC was that it was done in compliance with orders from General Sir George Prevost, British C-in-C in North America and who was born in New Jersey would you believe, to attack American coastal cities in retaliation for the burning of the Canadian village of Dover."
Marylander Sep 27, 2002 10:19 AM

The British burned Washington D.C.

Answer 2

The troops that marched on Washington in 1814 were largely Royal Marines that were transferred from the blockade of Europe at the end of the Napoleanic Wars. They only marshalled themselves at Halifax and picked up some additional army regulars for the Cheasepeake Campaign that ended the War of 1812. There was no Canadian militia on the campaign. There was no First Nations allies on the campaign, and there was only a small amount of British regulars that had even been stationed in Canada to participate.

Stop sucking into these stupid myths that popular historians are spouting just because they got a bad case of little man syndrome. Why don't you talk about some Canadian military history that is worth talking about (ie Normandy in WWII or the last Hundred Days of WWI)

Answer 3

British troops burned most of the public buildings in Washington during the War of 1812 (notably sparing the Patent Office) in retaliation for the earlier burning of York (the modern Toronto) by American troops. The war was ended on the basis of status quo ante bellum, i.e. the way things were before the war. For the United States the war confirmed US independence (thus the war's supporters calling it the Second War of Independence). For Canada the war led to heightened feelings of "national" pride among the colonists as well as a heightened sense of British loyalism amongst the Anglo colonists of Upper Canada (the modern Ontario). Oh and the executive mansion was already being called the "white house" before the War of 1812 as it was constructed out of a pale colored material; even US History textbooks get that wrong.

Answer 4

Technically it was it the British that burned the White House down. Actually, if memory serves correctly, I think it was natives fighting on the Birtish side that did it. Technically it wasn't the White House as the White House is the building they built to replace the one that was burnt down.
Funny thing is, it happened after the war had ended but those people hadn't heard that the war was over yet.
In Canada we learned that no one won the war of 1812. American history books are obviously written to reflect the interest of Americans--the US claims to have won every war its ever fought. There was a movement for awhile that was trying to make history books that said natives helped write the US constitution--don't believe your history teacher. Remember that there is almost twenty thousand years of cultural history before Europeans arrived in the Americas that escaped the history books. The textbooks also ignore the fact that North America is the sight of the world's largest ongoing genocide (300 years, 300 million natives killed).
Still we did burn down the White House and I hope we can find enough Canadians with the guts to do it again.

Answer 5

It was during the War of 1812, before Canada was founded, so we were really British colonists then. At the time Britain was at war with France, and America was a French ally. A rag-tag band of American drunks tried to invade Canada, got a big bag of whoopass, and ran back across the border. The British army followed them, and decided to burn down the White House just because it was a really ugly building (it wasn't actually white until after -- the whitewash hides the scorch marks).

We probably wouldn't bother doing it again. Why kick a dead horse?

Answer 6

Actually it was England who burned the White House during the war of 1812. People who say it is not in the History books were not paying attention during class. It was painted white after it burned to cover the burn marks. Also the United States did win the war since England was blocked from expanding west of the Mississippi after Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans. Since the land west of the Mississippi is United States and not Canada that is proof that United States won.

Answer 7

I'm with you the U.S hasn't gotten any territory in awhile. I don't know how the rest of the world would take it but o well.

Answer 8

hehe oh yeah and i always wondered as well: why is this not in american history textbooks?

i went to a high school in the US my 12th grade year of highschool and in US History they never mentioned it, it wasnt in my text book, and when i asked my teacher he had no idea what i was talking about.

its amazing that while this country thinks its so advanced, they still hide history from their students to make this country seem better!

Answer 9

stevewbcanada: I laughed my @ss off at your answer! LOL! Please give him 10 pts for that! :)