Fact check: What year did the British burn down the White House during the War of 1812?

1. Summary of the results

All sources consistently confirm that the British burned down the White House on August 24, 1814 during the War of 1812 ^{[1] [2]}. This event was part of the larger Burning of Washington, where British forces set fire to multiple government buildings including both the White House and the Capitol building ^{[2] [3] [4]}.

The burning occurred as retaliation for the American attack on the city of York in Ontario, Canada, in June 1813 ^[2]. The British invasion followed their victory over American forces at the Battle of Bladensburg, which allowed them to march into Washington largely unopposed ^[3]. President James Madison and his wife Dolley had already fled the city before the British arrived ^[1].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question, while factually straightforward, omits several important contextual elements that the analyses reveal:

• The strategic military context: The burning was not a random act of destruction but a calculated military retaliation for American actions in Canada ^[2]
• The broader scope of destruction: The White House was not the only target - the British systematically burned multiple public buildings including the Capitol ^{[2] [3] [4]}
• The military circumstances: The burning was facilitated by the American military defeat at Bladensburg, which left Washington defenseless ^[3]
• The human element: The event displaced the sitting President and First Lady, who were forced to evacuate ^[1]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains no misinformation or bias. It asks for a specific historical fact - the year the British burned the White House during the War of 1812 - and this fact is consistently and accurately documented across all sources as 1814. The question is neutrally phrased and seeks factual information about an established historical event. The only limitation is that it focuses narrowly on the White House specifically, rather than acknowledging the broader context of the Burning of Washington as a whole.