Description
This is an account of the British invasion and burning of America’s capital. It details the flights of government leaders, particularly the Madisons, into the surrounding countryside into Northern Virginia, and the sacking of the city of Alexandria. This catastrophic event was a only very small part in the War of 1812, but its significance to the country was tremendous. The torching of Washington D.C. rallied the people, and combined with the American victory at Baltimore three weeks later, a wave of patriotism was unleashed that began a much needed unification of the young nation. This horrific event should never have happened. It was definitely preventable.
Local author, Carole Herrick, lives in McLean, Virginia. She is a past president of the McLean Historical Society and is a member of the Fairfax County History Commission. Herrick co-chaired McLean & Great Falls Celebrate Virginia, 1607-2007, and served on the board of Fairfax 2007, two organizations that promoted the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. She co-chaired the “McLean Centennial Celebration” in 2010 and chaired “McLean Remembers the Civil War” the following year. She is the author of several other books ion local history, including “Ambitious Failure: Chain Bridge: The First Bridge Across the Potomac River (also for sale here on this AHS website).
Hardcover: 263 pages
Publisher: Higher Education Publications, 2005
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