In August 1814, which battle saw about 500 Marines stall 2,000 British troops near Washington, D.C.?

In August 1814, which battle saw about 500 Marines stall 2,000 British troops near Washington, D.C.?

• A. Battle of New Orleans
• B. Battle of Wake Island
• C. Battle of Guadalcanal
• D. Battle of Bladensburg

Answer: (D)

During the War of 1812, British forces moved on Washington, D.C., and near Bladensburg, Maryland, a relatively small force of Marines—about five hundred—held off about two thousand British troops long enough to slow their advance. That delaying action bought crucial time for American defenses to organize, for Washington to be evacuated, and for the city to be burned afterward. The engagement is remembered as a defensive stand that checked the British briefly but did not stop their advance, and it occurred in August 1814 just outside Washington. The other battles listed took place in different theaters or times: one was a later clash in New Orleans, another and a third occurred in the Pacific during World War II. So, the battle near Washington where Marines stalled the British is the Bladensburg action.

During the War of 1812, British forces moved on Washington, D.C., and near Bladensburg, Maryland, a relatively small force of Marines—about five hundred—held off about two thousand British troops long enough to slow their advance. That delaying action bought crucial time for American defenses to organize, for Washington to be evacuated, and for the city to be burned afterward. The engagement is remembered as a defensive stand that checked the British briefly but did not stop their advance, and it occurred in August 1814 just outside Washington. The other battles listed took place in different theaters or times: one was a later clash in New Orleans, another and a third occurred in the Pacific during World War II. So, the battle near Washington where Marines stalled the British is the Bladensburg action.