Saturday, August 27 will be the 246th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, the first battle of the War of Independence to pit Continental Army regulars under General George Washington against the British Army commanded by General William Howe. The story of the battle is here. The Old Stone House, site of the rear guard […]
Tag Archives | Battle of Brooklyn
“The Great Escape”, Commemorating Washington’s Evacuation of Brooklyn, at Brooklyn Bridge Park Saturday
This Saturday, August 27 marks the 240th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, also sometimes called the Battle of Long Island because where the fighting took place, in what is now Prospect Park, Park Slope, and Green-Wood Cemetery, wasn’t yet part of Brooklyn. It was the first battle in which regular Patriot troops under the […]
Coming Events at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Tomorrow (Saturday, August 20) from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. there will be a free Pier 5 Family Field Day, with potato, sack, and Hula Hoop races, parachute games, soccer skills lessons, and scrimmage games. More information here. On Sunday afternoon, August 21 from 2:00 to 5:00 the Nantucket lightship (photo), docked at Pier 6, […]
Historian on Emotional Roots of American Revolution at Brooklyn Historical Society Thursday
Nicole Eustace, Professor of History at New York University and author of Passion is the Gale: Emotion, Power, and the Coming of the American Revolution will speak at the Brooklyn Historical Society this Thursday evening, August 18 on “1776: Revolution and Emotion”. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. This event is presented in connection with […]
Re-enactment of Washington’s Evacuation of Brooklyn This Saturday
Update: We’ve just been advised that the re-enactment event has been cancelled because the group doing the re-enactment has a schedule conflict. This Saturday, August 23, from noon to 2:00 p.m. there will be a re-enactment of the evacuation of the Continental Army, under the command of General George Washington, from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The […]
Winter Walk Photos
These photos were taken on walks yeterday (Friday) afternoon and this (Saturday) morning. The first was taken from Cadman Plaza East, looking west across Cadman Plaza Park, with lower Manhattan in the background. More photos and text follow the jump. Snowboarding on the slope between Washington Street and the Brooklyn Bridge on-ramp. The Manhattan Bridge […]
Washington’s Escape from Brooklyn Heights to be Commemorated Saturday
Most Americans know about Washington’s crossing of the Delaware, preparatory to the young Continental Army’s victories at Trenton and Princeton. Lesser known is his crossing of the East River four months before, done under cover of night, allowing his troops to leave their position on Brooklyn Heights where, with their backs to the water, they […]
George and Abe Both Knew the Nabe
As we’ve noted before, in late August of 1776 General George Washington spent several days and nights here in Brooklyn Heights. It can’t have been a pleasant time for him: his Continental Army fought the British for the first time, and suffered defeat. Afterward, the weather was bad, though that would prove to be a […]
Washington Was Here, 234 Years Ago
On this day in 1776, what would prove to be the largest battle of the Revolutionary War happened just to the east of Brooklyn Heights, which was then the site of the principal encampment of the Continental Army on Long Island. The battle was originally called the Battle of Long Island, as much of it […]
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