Knight Monster Hunt #4 (25/26)

Why did the British target Washington, D.C., in 1814?

• To annex it permanently into Canada

• To retaliate for U.S. damage in Canada and hurt American morale

• Because it was America’s largest port

• To capture President Madison and end the war immediately

What did President James Madison do when the British entered Washington?

• He surrendered at the White House

• He fled into Virginia as the government evacuated

• He was captured and exchanged

• He led militia against the British at the Capitol

What priceless item did Dolley Madison famously help save from the White House?

• The Liberty Bell

• The Declaration of Independence

• A portrait of George Washington

• The Monroe Doctrine manuscript

To prevent capture of supplies, what did the U.S. Navy do at the Washington Navy Yard?

• Sank the British fleet

• Evacuated to Baltimore

• Set the yard on fire, destroying two nearly finished warships

• Seized British powder stores

Which British officer oversaw the burning of Washington’s government buildings?

• Horatio Nelson

• Duke of Wellington

• George Cockburn

• Edward Pakenham

What natural event ultimately put out many of the fires in Washington?

• A. A snowstorm

• B. A hurricane

• C. A huge storm with a tornado

• D. An earthquake-triggered rain

What was a key American morale boost soon after the burning of Washington?

• Victory at Fort McHenry defending Baltimore

• Immediate capture of Quebec City

• Surrender of the British fleet at Lake Ontario

• Annexation of Nova Scotia

Where did Congress meet while Washington’s buildings were repaired?

• Monticello

• Independence Hall in Philadelphia

• The Patent Office

• Georgetown University

How was the Library of Congress replenished after the Capitol burned?

• Donations from European monarchs

• Confiscation of British archives

• Purchase of Thomas Jefferson’s private library

• Reprinting from memory by clerks

Overall, what did the burning of Washington prove about the United States?

• That it could not recover from military defeat

• That the young republic could survive disaster without abandoning its principles

• That democracy was too weak to withstand war

• That Britain would permanently occupy the capital