A veteran 4,500 soldier British expeditionary force easily defeats 6,500 poorly-trained American militia protecting the road into the new Washington capital. The battle, known as the “Bladensburg Races,” is the worst defeat of an American army on U.S. soil.
After unsuccessful American invasions of Canada and a long British blockade of the Chesapeake Bay, the British high command sends veterans of the Napoleonic Wars to attack the American capital in the War of 1812. The disastrous defeat at Bladensburg opens the door to the capital for the British as President James Madison (1751-1836) flees for his life to Virginia. The British burn several public buildings in the capital including the U.S. Capitol and the White House.
Within a few weeks, the same British troops sail to destroy Baltimore, but are met by a determined American defense that kills their commanding general and saves the city. The War of 1812 ends several months later and the new United States remains independent, with new patriotic symbols.
