Burning of Washington Capitol dome to match the diameter of 86 ft. With the reconstruction of the public buildings in Washington, the value of land in the area increased dramatically, paving the way for the expansion of the city that developed in the years leading up to the American Civil War. Burning of Washington The Burning of Washington was a British invasion of Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, during the War of 1812. On August 24, 1814, after defeating the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg, a British force led by Major General Robert Ross burned down buildings including the
USS Spitfire (1814) USS Spitfire (1814) USS "Spitfire" (1814) was a heavily armed schooner in the United States Navy. She was built for service in the War of 1812, but did not see service until the Barbary Wars when she was sent with the American fleet to the Mediterranean to force an end to piracy of American ships. The third ship to be so named by the U.S. Navy, "Spitfire" was purchased at Baltimore, Maryland, between October and December 1814 for service in a squadron commanded by Commodore David Porter which was to operate out of southern American ports against British shipping in