Follow the path of the British during a walking tour that brings to life the incredible story of the nation’s capital, its brave citizens, and an infamous night during the War of 1812.
On August 24, 1814, Washington, D.C. was invaded. British soldiers led by Rear Admiral George Cockburn marched methodically from site to site, setting fire to government buildings, Cockburn hell-bent on crushing the American spirit and bringing the fledging republic to its knees.
We set the stage in the vicinity of the U.S. Capitol, where an inferno would soon rage that could be seen as far away as Georgetown. Although the British leadership vowed to spare private property, one Capitol Hill residence was destroyed. Why — and by what means?
Washington Is Burning Tour Highlights
- See where a brick building was quickly constructed to enable Congress to convene once the enemy had gone.
- At the Canadian Embassy participants will hear why this northern neighbor was key to both the American and British military strategies. (Did you know that U.S. troops burned its capital city?)
- A practically hidden plaque on a Pennsylvania Avenue building where the offices of the influential National Intelligencer newspaper once stood whose editor was reviled by Rear Admiral Cockburn.
More Washington, D.C. walking tours you might like: U.S. Capitol and the Houses of Congress and Georgetown
