The Battle of Brooklyn, also known as the Battle of Long Island, was the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War after the Declaration of Independence and the largest in terms of troop deployment, participants, and casualties.
It took place from August 27 to August 29, 1776, at and near the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn, New York.
George Washington, leading the American forces, positioned his 19,000 soldiers in Lower Manhattan and on Brooklyn Heights, across the East River on Long Island, anticipating a British attack on Manhattan.
Washington had strengthened harbor defenses and constructed forts in both locations.
On August 22, 1776, British forces under General William Howe began landing on Long Island.
The British defeated the Continental Army, gaining control of the strategically important Port of New York, which they held for the remainder of the war.
Washington’s defeat at Brooklyn was a blow to his confidence and that of his regulars.
The British achieved a significant victory, inflicting heavy casualties on the Americans, with approximately 1,000 American casualties compared to 400 British losses.
Despite the defeat, Washington conducted a retreat to Manhattan by boat on August 29, saving the Continental Army from capture.
Many considered this escape, aided by a thick fog, an act of divine assistance.
