Crown Heights History: The Battle of Brooklyn

This series on The History of Crown Heights has been compiled by Instagram account @historyofcrownheights, run by a born and raised Crown Heightser, and shows some of the ongoing research taking place.

The Battle of Brooklyn, also known as the Battle of Long Island, took place in August 1776, marking the first military engagement after the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4th of that year. The battle involved approximately 50,000 soldiers, and was the largest during the American Revolution.

On the morning of August 27th, 1776, British forces advanced towards the main American camp situated on Brooklyn Heights. Some American regiments were stationed on the strategically important Heights of Guan, which encompassed present-day Crown Heights. These hills provided the Americans with a height advantage, and key passes such as Battle Pass (near Flatbush Avenue and Prospect Park) and Bedford Pass (Clove Road) were heavily guarded.

Skirmishes likely occurred in the Crown Heights area between the Americans and the Hessians (German mercenaries fighting for the British) during the Battle of Brooklyn. However, the American forces were ultimately ambushed by the British, who outflanked them by covertly slipping through the Jamaica Pass to the East (in present-day Queens). The Americans found themselves surrounded, and some managed to escape to Brooklyn Heights before retreating to Manhattan.

The Battle of Brooklyn resulted in a British victory, and more than 2,000 American soldiers were killed or captured and the British subsequently occupied Brooklyn. However, they failed to capture General Washington and his army, who retreated across the East River to continue fighting and eventually win the war. The British occupation of Brooklyn lasted until 1783 when they surrendered, and America finally secured its independence.

(In the pictures, Crown Heights is north of Flatbush and just south of Bedford.)