Battle of Long Island

1776-08-26

The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn, was an action of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 27, 1776, at the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn. The British defeated the Continental Army and gained access to the strategically important Port of New York, which they held for the rest of the war. It was the first major battle after the United States declared independence on July 4, 1776, and the largest battle of the Revolutionary War in terms of both troop deployment and combat.