Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources Reading Comprehension Worksheets The War of 1812

Running for Dear Life - The Battle of Bladensburg The War of 1812

---

Running for Dear Life - The Battle of Bladensburg
Print Running for Dear Life - The Battle of Bladensburg Reading Comprehension


Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 7 to 9
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	6.26

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		anti-British, hampering, indifference, determined, rallying, hotbed, rout, confer, imminent, best, republic, consequently, vigor, sentiment, tactics, point-blank
	content words:		From Europe, War John Armstrong, Chesapeake Bay, Patuxent River, State James Monroe, President Madison, William Windor, But General Windor, Commodore Joshua Barney

---

Running for Dear Life - The Battle of Bladensburg By Toni Lee Robinson

---

¹     It was summertime in Washington, D.C. The capital of the new U.S. republic was suffering through a hot, dusty season. In 1814, the "city" was more of a village. The new government buildings springing up in the tiny, dusty town seemed a little out of place. It was here that officials of the young republic conducted its business.
 
²     At the moment, they were concerned with war. America's second war with Britain was now two years old. It had been a challenge to the new nation in many ways. Battles raged on the border of Canada and in the Atlantic. But these fronts were miles away. So far, the war had seemed rather distant. The British blockade of the east coast brought the conflict closer to home. The defeat of France had infused the blockade with new vigor. U.S. trade was severely affected. The navy was bottled up in U.S. harbors. Americans sighed over the hardships of war.
 
³     Still, the actual battle seemed a long way off. There were signs, though, that the war's front lines were about to change. British newspapers had discussed Washington, D.C., as a target for British troops. From Europe, U.S. officials began to send home warnings. Hundreds of British ships and thousands of troops were freed up by the end of hostilities with France. Where might the redirected resources be deployed?
 
⁴     Secretary of War John Armstrong was certain he knew the answer. Armstrong was largely responsible for management of the U.S. war effort. It was he who received the warning rumbles of intelligence from overseas. It was he who prioritized American response. When the commander of Washington's militia became alarmed at the thought of a British attack, Armstrong scoffed. "What the devil will they do here? No! No!" he insisted. "Baltimore is the place, Sir. That is of so much more consequence." Preparations for the defense of Baltimore were begun.
 
⁵     The British hated Baltimore. It wasn't because they didn't like the scenery. It was because the city was a hotbed of American privateering. Privateers had roamed as far as the British coast, seizing ships and generally hampering British shipping. Besides that, Baltimore had long been a source of strong anti-British sentiment. A British attack on the city would come as a surprise to no one.

Paragraphs 6 to 14:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

---

Weekly Reading Books

Create Weekly Reading Books Prepare for an entire week at once!

---

Feedback on Running for Dear Life - The Battle of Bladensburg

Leave your feedback on Running for Dear Life - The Battle of Bladensburg   (use this link if you found an error in the story)

---

The War of 1812

The War of 1812

---

More Lessons

High School Reading Comprehensions and High School Reading Lessons

---

United States

United States

American Government         Black History and Blacks in U.S. History         Children in History         Government Careers         Hispanic Heritage         How Can I Help?

Immigration         National Parks and Monuments         Native Americans         Presidents of the United States         Women's History

---

United States History

A Nation Divided (1840-1861)         A New Nation (1776-1830)         After the Civil War (1865-1870)         American Revolution         Cold War (1947-1991)         Colonial America (1492-1776)         Lewis and Clark (1804-1806)         Pearl Harbor         Spanish American War (1898)         The 1890's         The 1900's         The 1910's         The 1920's         The 1930's

The 1940's         The 1950's         The 1960's         The 1970's         The 1980's         The 1990's         The 2000's         The Civil War (1861-1865)         The Great Depression (1929-1945)         The United States Grows (1865-1900)         The War of 1812         Wild, Wild West         World War I (1914-1918)         World War II

---

50 States

Fifty States Theme Unit

---

Document Based Activities

Document Based Activities

Copyright © 2018 edHelper