Why the White House Was Burned: An Investigation into the British Destruction of Public Buildings at Washington in August 1814

The War of 1812 is a conflict that carries an unduly heavy burden of mythology, much of it propagated by nineteenth-century historians and deriving mainly from national chauvinism. In this respect, one of the most misunderstood events of the war is the British destruction of public buildings in Washington in August 1814. This article examines the background of that event and discusses whether it was justified, either under the laws of war, as they were understood at the time, or in retaliation for the American destruction of Canadian towns and villages in the northern theatre.