display
US President James Madison was confident of victory. To celebrate his triumph, he had the dining room of his residence set up for 40 guests. Fine drinks were provided. The head of the house and key staff, Secretary of State James Monroe (who was to succeed Madison as President) and Secretary of War John Armstrong, previously made a trip to Bladensburg a few miles east of Washington. The US Army was supposed to pull in the reason for the evening feast there. But it turned out differently than Madison and the other prominent battle-goers had imagined. Though clearly outnumbered, the British Expeditionary Force overran the defenders and marched into the capital of the United States with a sound of game.
The Battle of Bladensburg on August 24, 1814 is one of the darkest chapters in American military history. First the Americans let the British advance unmolested the nearly 100 kilometers from the coast of Maryland to the west. Then they forgot to tear down the bridge over the Anacostia River that they had holed up behind. And finally they took their legs in their hands as the British began bombarding them with modern Congregation missiles. The battle, which was actually a better battle, went down in the annals as the “Bladensburg races”.
The fact that the USA and its former colonial power found themselves in another war in 1812 had a lot to do with events in Europe.
Napoleon I led his Grande Armée to Russia.
After the heavy defeats of Austria and Prussia, England, over which the emperor had imposed the continental ban, was the only opponent left in the west and now inevitably moved to the side of the tsar.
Therefore, the Royal Navy intensified its hunt for ships trading with the French Empire.
display
These were American in large numbers, whose owners earned well from the European conflicts.
Their ships were seized by British warships and, worse still, numerous crew members were forced to serve in the Royal Navy.
And if that weren't enough of a nuisance, the US administration suspected the British of inciting the Indians living on the border with Canada to revolt.
US President James Madison (1751-1836) declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812
Source: picture alliance / imageBROKER
On June 18, 1812, US President Madison declared war on England.
Thus the states on the frontier had prevailed, which were speculating on conquests in Canada and in the west, while in New England they feared a further impairment of trade.
The vote in the Senate turned out to be extremely tight with 19 votes to 13.
The trump cards in the now lifting ring were distributed differently.
While the British fleet ruled the sea, but the English army was bound in Spain, the USA had just 16 medium-sized warships, but over 35,000 men, which were vastly superior to the few royal troops in Canada.
display
But the course of the war showed a completely different picture.
Under professional guidance, the British could easily repel the amateurishly presented invasions from the south and even go on the offensive.
Conversely, the US Navy was able to achieve spectacular successes with its state-of-the-art and extremely heavily armed frigates.
The "USS Constitution" was able to raise several British ships, including the "HMS Guerriere"
Source: UIG via Getty Images
But the longer the war lasted, the stronger the superiority of the British Navy became.
The blockade of the US east coast grew ever thicker, and all attempts to break through the British defense lines in the north also failed.
After Napoleon's abdication in 1814, the British also got enough troops free to go on the offensive on land.
Their aim was to use a pinprick strategy to tire the Americans while at the same time repaying them for the devastation their troops had left in Canada.
Admiral Alexander Cochrane, who commanded the Royal Navy off the US coast, devised a daring plan.
4,500 soldiers and sailors under General Robert Ross were to go ashore in Chesapeake Bay and simulate an advance on Baltimore.
But the real goal should be Washington.
display
US Secretary of War Armstrong thought the plan was so absurd that he concentrated all troops in Baltimore.
When the British did not appear there, but apparently chose the route along the Potomac, he appointed General William Winder to defend the capital.
Until then, however, he had emerged more with political intrigue than military talent.
The Battle of Bladensburg is still a topic for reenactment events today
Source: The Washington Post / Getty Images
That didn't change at Bladensburg either.
With great difficulty he had gathered 7,500 men, a few regular units, sailors and militias.
He was clearly superior to Ross, but that meant little in view of his bungling lineup.
After all, she saved the lives of many Americans who were unable to intervene in battle, but preferred to flee to boldness.
As the president and better circles joined the soldiers, Ross celebrated his victory at Madison's residence with the supplies piled up.
Then he ordered all public buildings - Capitol, House of Representatives, government departments - to be set on fire.
The rest was taken care of by looters who stole from the ruins what occupiers and fire had left over.
The shameful loss of the capital was motivation enough for Baltimore's defenders to put up sustained resistance to the British.
This inspired the lawyer Francis Scott Key to write a patriotic poem that went down in American folklore under the title "The Star-Spangled Banner".
In 1931, Congress declared it a national anthem.
Because Baltimore could withstand the British, Francis Scott Key (1779-1843) wrote the poem "The Star-Spangled Banner"
Source: Everett Collection
But even before that, Napoleon's abdication had brought the warring parties to the negotiating table.
In distant Ghent the tsar acted as a mediator.
It soon became clear that after the continental blockade was abolished, the main reason for war no longer existed.
And in England, after the endless wars against France, war weariness spread.
In the Peace of Ghent, signed on December 24, 1814, both sides basically agreed on the status quo.
Even if England continued to keep blockades and forced recruitment open, it was crucial for the future that all open border disputes should be entrusted to an arbitration commission.
Soon she was able to agree on today's borderline.
In world history, the war became more important for the Canadians, who found their own identity in defending against their neighbors.
The Americans immediately set about rebuilding their capital.
While some historians claim that Madison's first residence was white, buckets of white paint have now been used to wipe the soot off the president's seat.
He became the White House.
display
You can also find “World History” on Facebook.
We look forward to a like.
This article was first published in 2018.