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Patent Office
Although the building which housed the Patent Office in 1814 was called Blodget's Hotel, it was never actually a hotel. From 1800 to 1810, it was the home of the first theatre in Washington. In 1810, both the Patent Office and the Post Office moved…
Letter to Thomas Jefferson
A letter from Benjamin Henry Latrobe, architect in charge of restoring the Capitol, to former president Thomas Jefferson, describing the extent of the destruction.
United States Capitol
This drawing shows the Capitol before its destruction in 1814. It was apparently drawn afterwards from memory by Latrobe, who was Architect of the Capitol from 1803-1811 and again from 1815-1817. Most of the fine decorative work which Latrobe…
Letter to Lucy Payne Todd
First Lady Dolley Madison waited in the White House for her husband to return from the battlefield at Bladensburg; while she waited, she wrote this letter to her younger sister Lucy Todd. Mrs. Madison refused to leave until the absolute last moment…
A Concise and Impartial History of the Capture of Washington, and the disease which sprung from that most deplorable disaster
Dr. Ewell’s purpose in writing this “concise and impartial history” was to justify his patriotism. His house was used as General Ross' headquarters in the city and he cared for the British soldiers wounded in the explosion at Greenleaf’s point. These…
To the Public
William Thornton was a prominent member of Washington society, Superintendent of the Patent Office, and a Justice of the Peace. On August 26th, when the British had retreated and American officials not yet returned, Thornton organized patrols and…
A narrative of the campaigns of the British army at Washington and New Orleans
George R. Gleig left divinity school in 1813 to join the British army in the fight against Napoleon Bonaparte. After Bonaparte's defeat, Gleig was sent to the United States for the final months of the War of 1812. He not only participated in the…
Portrait of George Washington
This portrait of Washington is a copy of one commissioned by Senator William Bingham of Pennsylvania in 1796. It was acquired by the US government in the 1790s and installed in the White House in the early 1800s.
A Colored Man's Reminiscences of James Madison
Paul Jennings was born into slavery on the family farm of James Madison, who was president during the War of 1812. During Madison's presidency and retirement, Jennings served as a "body servant," or valet, to Madison. After Madison's death he…