Description

This biography of a single day tells the story of the burning of the White House by the British during the War of 1812. It is written from the perspectives of different people who experienced the event, such as First Lady Dolley Madison, a British officer, and a nine-year-old slave.

In the early hours before dawn, there was a warning that the British were approaching Washington, D.C. This happened during the War of 1812, which had been going on for two years. By the evening of August 24, 1814, British soldiers had set fire to several important buildings in D.C., starting with the Navy Yard, then the Capitol, and finally the White House, where First Lady Dolley Madison was still present.

Jane Sutcliffe uses first-person accounts to create a compelling timeline of the events that took place on August 24, 1814.