Washington is Burning
Washington is Burning relates the experience of Paul Jennings, a slave who belonged to President Madison, as he stayed by the side of Dolley Madison as British soldiers marched toward Washington, D.C.
Fifteen-year-old Paul Jennings looked out the window of the President’s House. American was at war with Britain, and British soldiers were marching toward Washington. Terrified people were fleeing the city. But Paul was not going to join them yet. He was a slave who belonged to President Madison and his wife, Dolley.
Dolley did not want to leave until her husband returned from the battlefront. Paul stayed by her side, helping her pack up official papers and belongings. Finally, they could wait no longer. But there was one more treasure they had to save. Were they too late?
- About the author: Marty Rhodes Figley is the author of sixteen books, mostly about her favorite subject―remarkable people from our country’s past. She earned her B.A. in American Studies from Mount Holyoke College. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Paul, and their Airedale terrier, Scarlett.
