Today in history, on August 24, 1814, British troops invaded Washington D.C. and burned the Capitol. The British had a long list of goals for the attack. Strategically, it distracted and removed the American military from Canada. It was also symbolic; seizing a country’s capital city was a massive blow to American morale. It could’ve also made for a powerful bargaining chip for the British in peace talks.

There was another motivation, though—retaliation. In 1813, American troops burned the British territory of York (modern-day Toronto). They burned government buildings and private property. The British specifically targeted American government buildings and avoided private property. The Patent Office wasn’t burnt because the head administrator successfully argued that the patents inside were private property.

The Capitol building, the Presidential Mansion (today known as the White House), and the Library of Congress were destroyed. All 3000 volumes in the Library of Congress were lost. President James Madison had prior escape plans in place and escaped unharmed, though his wife Dolley got out at the last moment.

Washington, D.C., was saved by a massive storm. Four days after the attack, while the British occupied the city, a possible hurricane hit the area. Intense rain extinguished the fires, and a tornado damaged the city even more, killing more troops than the attack. The British left soon after. The War of 1812 officially ended on February 17, 1815. Reconstruction of the Capitol wasn’t finished until 1826.