The last time a mob stormed the Capitol was during the War of 1812. Here's what happened when the British invaded Washington.

Talia LakritzJan 8, 2021, 02:52 IST

The last mass breach of the Capitol building was during the War of 1812.History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images, Getty Images

A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol building on Wednesday in a riot that left four people dead.
It was the first mass breach of the Capitol since the War of 1812.
On August 24, 1814, British forces invaded Washington, DC, and burned the Capitol and the White House.

Pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday, forcing members of Congress to evacuate a joint session certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. Rioters vandalized congressional offices, looted items, and broke their way into the Senate Chamber where Vice President Mike Pence had presided moments before. The chaos left four people dead.

The last time a large, violent group breached the Capitol was over 200 years ago during the War of 1812, when the British invaded Washington, DC. Here's what happened on that fateful day in 1814.

The Capitol building was still under construction when British troops invaded Washington, DC, during the War of 1812.

A view of the US Capitol before it was burned by the British during the War of 1812. PhotoQuest/Getty Images

After a victory against American soldiers on August 24, 1814, British forces headed to Washington, where they set fire to the White House and the Capitol building.

An illustration of the British invasion of Washington, DC by G. Thompson. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images

"I have never beheld a spectacle more terrible and at the same time more magnificent," French minister Louis Sérurier said of the scene.

"Capture and Burning of Washington by British, in 1814" by Richar Miller Devins by in 1876. History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

First lady Dolley Madison was hailed as a hero for saving the White House's portrait of George Washington from falling into British hands.

Dolley Madison in 1814. Bettmann/Contributor/Getty Images

The Capitol lay in ruins after the British left Washington, DC.

Ruins of the US Capitol building, painted by George Munger. Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Much of the exterior structure and interior spaces remained intact thanks to the fire-proof building materials used by architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe.

An illustration showing the ruined exterior of the Capitol building. Interim Archives/Getty Images

Congress temporarily met in the Blodgett's Hotel before finding a more long-term substitute at the Old Brick Capitol from 1815 to 1819.

Blodgett's Hotel. Library of Congress

The Capitol's Small House Rotunda survived the fire and remains one of its oldest rooms.

The Small House Rotunda. Architect of the Capitol

Contrary to popular belief, these holes in a Capitol column aren't bullet holes from the War of 1812 - they're the result of a different Capitol fire.

Superheated iron ore in the Capitol. Douglas Graham/Roll Call/Getty Images

Mercedes' flagship EV will have a giant, 56-inch screen spanning the entire width of the car - check it out

Cookies on the Business Insider India website