Burning Of Washington Analysis

The Political and Economical Effects of the Burning of Washington, D. C. by the British

The Burning of Washington by the British in 1814 had a social and economical impact on America. Over forty years after United States had succeeded in gaining independence from the British, Britain still sought to enforce their will on American long after the “taxation without representation”. At the turn of the 19th century, the United States was seeking to expand within its own border and beyond. As a result, Britain attempted to restrict America’s trade and impressed over six thousand American soldiers to join the British Navy. These sequences of events ultimately lead to what is known as the “Second War of Independence”. The “Second War of Independence”,
After spending just twenty-four hours in the Capitol, the British had destroyed the incomplete capital building, the Naval Yard, the Department of the Treasury, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, the White House, the State War and Navy Department buildings, newspaper presses and the monuments dedicated to veterans who served in the Revolutionary War. Some of the bombing backfired and the British lost a large number of soldiers. As they marveled at a burning city a tornado is believed to have saved what was left of the city. Flying debris killed and injured several British soldiers and the rains assisted with containing the raging fires. The British decided to retreat to what is now Toronto, Canada, territory that was under their control. After negotiations were made between the British and the United States, the Treaty of Ghent was signed. The treaty mandated that all the land that had been seized in the war would be returned back to the original
Political debates were often based on who could rebuild Washington the best, and who could provide the greatest come back for the American society after the burning. Politics used the event as a helpful strategy in political races. Society felt that James Madison wasn’t doing his job as President, due to the fact that Britain took over Washington and our soldiers weren’t prepared. Although James Madison was not present in Washington at the time, some citizens still felt he was partially to blame. Beyond individual accountability, the Federalists and Republican party were both at their wits end about the stance and support of America during the war. Politically, after the lack of misjudgement and having to make the difficult choices, the United States would begin to question the current chain of command. The long term political outcomes of the war would be based on the perception of citizens in the years following the war. The concept of patriotism remained intact, but the loyalty of groups such as the Native Americans was in question especially since the group had sided with the British during wartime. The Burning of Washington would appear to be a sign of defeat, but the previous battles in the war were all American victories. Those wins over the “best” militia in the world made the United States a world power and sent a message that the citizens and government would be willing to fight for