Commentary: J. Mark Powell - The bloody past of nation s Capitol
J. Mark Powell
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‘We have built no temple but the Capitol. We consult no common oracle but the Constitution.”
Those words, from former Massachusetts Sen. Rufus Choate, are inscribed on the wall of the U.S. Capitol the same walls desecrated by rioters who ransacked the building. For many Americans, seeing such acts of violence and vandalism occurring in the Capitol was something unimaginable.
In fact, our civic “temple” has a surprisingly bloody history. It was still under construction when British troops seized it during the War of 1812. The Brits torched the structure, also destroying the U.S. Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, which were both housed there. Only a violent thunderstorm’s arrival put out the flames, thus sparing the original walls, which are incorporated in today’s building.
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Political extremists have attacked the Capitol before
Here are other instances of politically motivated attacks on the Capitol throughout history
By Gillian Brockell Washington Post,Updated January 7, 2021, 6:43 p.m.
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Here are other instances of politically motivated attacks on the Capitol throughout history.
â The War of 1812: Despite the name of the war, it lasted three years. And on Aug. 24, 1814, the British invaded Washington, leading to the infamous torching of the White House. The Capitol building â then much smaller and lacking its current dome, was also set alight. The British retreated after a huge storm struck the city â perhaps a hurricane or a tornado â quenching the fires.
Shank: Capitol no stranger to attacks
Richard Shank
The attack on the United States Capitol this week was a reminder of previous incidents in a building some call the world’s home for Democracy.
On Aug. 28, 1814, during a conflict dubbed the War of 1812, the British came to town and during a two-hour stay torched the Capitol and White House, both of which were still under construction.
The invaders piled the furniture in the House of Representatives Chamber and ignited a huge bonfire. A second fire in the Supreme Court Chambers, then located in the Capitol, wreaked havoc throughout the structure. With that accomplished, they moved on to the President’s House, (White House) and did the same. Dolly Madison, wife of President James Madison, rolled up George Washington’s portrait in the East Room, and fled the city.
The U.S. Capitol’s turbulent history of bombings, assassination attempts, and violence Amy McKeever © Photograph by JOE MARQUETTE/AFP via Getty Images
A gunman opened fire in the U.S. Capitol in 1995, killing two Capitol Police officers who were defending the building. The pair were the first private citizens to lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda.
Today s takeover of the U.S. Capitol by a mob supporting President Trump is unprecedented. But America’s seat of government has endured bombings, a presidential assassination attempt, and even its destruction by foreign forces. There have also been attacks from inside including a near-fatal attack on one lawmaker by another.
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