"January 6th, 2021: Assault on the Capitol" is an installment in the DC History Center’s Context for Today series of online conversations with thoughtful and thought-provoking historians, activists, journalists, and community members.
Wednesday, January 6 was to be a day of routine business for the U.S. Congress in session at the Capitol. On the docket: certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. In other eras, this vote was pro forma: a way for Congress to officially affirm the election results from each state.
Instead, the day became one of shock and insurrection.
Embedded in the DC History Center’s mission is the responsibility to provide historical context for the events of our day and thereby promote understanding of who we are as a community. The assault on the U.S. Capitol, incited by a sitting president intent on upending the results of a fair and lawful election, is unprecedented. But there have been attacks on U.S. sovereignty on our soil before, attacks both foreign and domestic.
So in the spirit of providing connections with the past, this edition of Context for Today offers resources on the British burning of the Capitol in 1814 that took place during the War of 1812; the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln; the bombing of the Capitol building in 1954 by Puerto Rican nationalists, and other incursions into the building and challenges to the American form of government.
The Capitol burning in 1814
The burned-out Capitol after the British attack on Washington of 1814. Print based on the watercolor by George Munger (Kiplinger Washington Collection, KC0531A.PT.AG.L.F.)
Washington Post and New York Times articles are free with your DC Public Library or other local library card. To access the full list of newspapers available through DCPL click here.
Washington History Magazine can be viewed and downloaded from JSTOR after making a free account. Current and past issues are available for purchase from the DC History Center's online store.
In 2019, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the 1954 shooting in the House Chamber, the Office of the House Historian collected oral histories with eyewitnesses, including House staff, pages, and police officers. Listen to firsthand accounts that describe the surprise attack in detail and the shocked reaction by people there that day. These stories serve as important reminders of the competing needs to ensure the safety of the House while preserving the accessible relationship between elected Representatives and their constituents.
Bypass the paywall: Washington Post and New York Times articles are free with your DC Public Library or other local library card. To access the full list of newspapers available through DCPL click here.
Lillian Rogers Parks worked as a domestic servant at the White House in 1950 when President Harry S. Truman narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. The papers include materials related to the publication of Parks’ 1961 book, My Thirty Years Backstairs at The White House. Parks served during the administrations of presidents Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower.
Readers interested in learning more about the history of the quest for DC Statehood, the lack of which has serious implications for the city’s ability to protect itself and the federal presence, may learn more through links to our other guides below.
Help us keep the DC History Center's guide up-to-date. Send additional resources and/or edits to library@dchistory.org. We appreciate your efforts and contributions!
