The Truman's presidency achieved the desegregation of the armed forces with the executive order 9981 since it abolished discrimination "on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin". Before that, the armed forces had many different treatments for non-whites. For example, blacks worked under different rules that usually delayed their entry in combat.
After the Battle of Bladensburg in Maryland, the British marched to Washington D.C. where they burned many public buildings including the White House. This was known as the "Burning of Washington."
