USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -On August 24, 1814, the British troops arrived at and feasted in the empty White House before torching the Executive Mansion along with a good part of Washington, D.C. The British left two days later.

Detailed explanation-2: -The British torched major rooms in the Capitol, which then housed the Library of Congress, as well as the House, Senate and Supreme Court. The White House, the navy yard and several American warships were also burned; however, most private property was spared.

Detailed explanation-3: -Washington’s naval yard was ordered to be set ablaze to prevent warships from being taken into British hands. British Admiral George Cockburn ordered his men to burn the White House, Capitol Building, the Library of Congress (located in the Capitol Building at the time), the Treasury, and other government buildings.

Detailed explanation-4: -The building was originally variously referred to as the President’s Palace, Presidential Mansion, or President’s House. The earliest evidence of the public calling it the “White House” was recorded in 1811.

Detailed explanation-5: -The White House has a unique and fascinating history. It survived a fire at the hands of the British in 1814 (during the war of 1812) and another fire in the West Wing in 1929, while Herbert Hoover was President.