On August 24, 1814, British forces burned the U.S. Capitol during the War of 1812, destroying the Library of Congress's original collection of 3,000 volumes.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by multiple authoritative sources including the Library of Congress and Architect of the Capitol, both government entities with primary historical records. [tier=bronze indep_score=0.539 clusters=2 claim_tier=notable]
Sources
- Library of Congress | Definition, History, & Facts | Britannica (seed:culture_and_philosophy)
- https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/out-of-the-ashes/online-exhibition.html (corroboration)
- https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/blog/most-magnificent-ruin-burning-capitol-during-war-1812 (corroboration)
- https://www.loc.gov/about/fascinating-facts (corroboration)