War of 1812

In 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain. Not only were the British removing American seamen from merchant ships and forcing them to serve in the Royal Navy, they also supported Native American tribes fighting against America’s westward expansion.

On August 24, 1814, British troops invaded Washington, D.C., burning down the Capitol building, the White House, and other government buildings. This was the only time a foreign power captured Washington, D.C. since the American Revolutionary War. The British used torches and gunpowder paste to set the buildings on fire. The heat from the fire melted the glass skylights and destroyed much of the carved stone in the Capitol. President Madison and members of the government fled the city. 

In The Hesperus Prophecy, the Clypeate defended the city, helping push the British out of Washington, D.C., and allowing the United States government to return and rebuild.