As the British marched on Washington during the War of 1812, government clerks scrambled to hide the nation's precious documents. According to legend, the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights ended up in the cellar of Rokeby, a mansion outside of Leesburg, Virginia where they were guarded by a local minister. But is the legend true?
A nefarious plot against one of Washington's most beloved landmarks was unfolding in the spring of 1999. On April 1st, an attacker moved quickly when no one was around, and chopped down one of the Cherry Trees along the Tidal Basin. This was no April Fools Day joke.
In the spring of 1936, three torrential rainstorms, caused floodwaters to run straight off the Appalachian Mountains and into the Potomac. The swollen river rose over 30 feet in some places, submerging towns, and tearing bridges off their foundations. As reports of the devastation come from all across the Northeast, Washington, D.C. scrambled to defend itself.
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