This is the web database of the world of Washington Burns, a timeline in which the British destroyed Washington, D.C., more thoroughly in 1814 than in our history, and the city was subsequently abandoned. 

In this world, the U.S. capital moves westward, settling in what would have become Cincinnati, but in this world is known as Franklin, District of Washington. The aftermath of the War of 1812 was far worse in the U.S., with territory taken by the British and a threat of revolt from New England that resulted in major reforms to the U.S. Government, the most noticeable of which is that after 1821, the American presidency became a single six-year term.

Other highlights include a slightly earlier Civil War that features a Northern secessionist movement instead of a Southern one (from 1857-1860), a Federalist Party that never ceases to exist (and is one of three major political parties by the 20th century), and earlier analog to World War I where France emerges in the aftermath as the heart of a newly established communist state that becomes a major power by the middle of the 20th century. 

I originally wrote this timeline from 2017-2020, getting up to the early 1960s (roughly a century and a half of history that took a different path). Around that time, I started to seriously consider a rewrite, as there were some details from early in the timeline that weren't as plausible as I'd first thought. There were also some things I added later for fun that felt a bit "clunky" to me as things continued progressing. Life (and a global pandemic) put this project on hiatus, but as of the summer of 2024, the rewrite is underway and is what is now available to read on this site.  

If you are interested in giving feed back or participating in helping shape the future of the timeline, feel free to join the discussion over on AlternateHistory.com