History of Washington, D.C. problems, and plans for further construction to reach the Ohio River were abandoned. During the War of 1812, British forces conducted an expedition between August 19 and 29, 1814, that took and burned the capital city. On August 24, the British routed an American militia, which had gathered at Bladensburg, Maryland to protect the capital (see Battle of Bladensburg). The militia then abandoned Washington without a fight. President James Madison and the remainder of the U.S. government fled the capital shortly before the British arrived. The British then entered and burned the capital during the most notably destructive raid of
Hercules (1814 ship) belli" for Great Britain to declare war on Qing China in what is now known as the First Opium War, a conflict that initiated China's opening for trade with foreign nations under a series of treaties with the western powers. In 1839, with the Chinese blocking of opium imports, the opium receiving ships sailed, were sold, or broken up. Reportedly, Jardine Matheson sold "Hercules" to Americans. Notes Citations References Hercules (1814 ship) Hercules was built at Calcutta in 1814. She acquired British registry and traded between Britain and India under a license from the British East India Company (EIC), before