Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815 (Oxford History of the United States)

George Washington (1732 1799): This portrait painted by Gilbert Stuart in 1797 was the one rescued by Dolley Madison in 1814 when the British burned the White House.
(Library of Congress)

Lyon-Griswold Brawl (1798): Outraged by this brawl on the floor of the House of Representatives, many concluded that Congress had become contemptible in the eyes of all polite or genteel societies. (Library of Congress)

Washington, D.C. in 1801: The nation s capital remained for years primitive and desolate, with muddy streets, a swampy climate, and unfinished government buildings that stood like Greek temples in a deserted ancient city. (Library of Congress)

Capture of the City of Washington: In 1814 the British army set fire to many public buildings here. Although this was considered a violation of the laws of war, they were probably retaliating for the Americans burning of buildings in the Canadian capital, York (Toronto). (Library of Congress)

Shakers: The name Shakers was originally pejorative, mocking the religious group s rituals of trembling, dancing, and shaking. Their commitment to celibacy kept a rigid separation of the sexes, even in dancing, as this illustration shows. (Library of Congress)