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 Library of Congress official records, Architect of the Capitol, and multiple historical accounts. [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/?loclr=fbloc (corroboration)
- https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2012/05/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-the-first-library-of-congress/ (corroboration)