New Exhibition Opens February 5 and Considers Largest Battle of the American Revolution on the Eve of 250thAnniversary of the United States
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Brooklyn—The Center for Brooklyn History at Brooklyn Public Library is set to open a new exhibition about the Battle of Brooklyn, the largest battle of the Revolutionary War. The exhibition features artifacts, artwork, documents and a rare historic map to tell the story of the battle and its ambiguous legacy. Approximately 300 were killed, 800 were injured and over 1,000 were taken prisoner before George Washington led his remaining soldiers in a miraculous escape across the East River.
“While the battle itself is an astonishing story of warfare, tragedy, leadership, and luck, and was the largest of the entire war for American independence, 250 years later I’m just as compelled by what this history has meant to Brooklyn. Although only about 4,000 people called Brooklyn home at the time, every single person living in Brooklyn today—all 2.6 million people—gets to claim that legacy,” said Dominique Jean-Louis, Chief Historian at the Center for Brooklyn History. “The ground upon which we stand has a special role in the making of this country, a place where sacrifices are made to protect one another, where we embody the ideals of the founding of this country, and where we honor our past as we build our future.”
The exhibition also asks visitors to consider how this this foundational moment should be remembered. Washington’s army retreated. The British occupied New York City. The war would take another eight years to end. Early on in Brooklyn’s history, many felt shame over the escape and loss. But as the years passed, Brooklyn began to commemorate its role in the fight for independence, building monuments that endure today. The evolution of the battle in Brooklyn’s memory has a great deal to show us about our relationship to the past, and why history still matters.
Visitors will also learn about the prison ships, stationed in the East River just offshore from today’s Brooklyn Navy Yard. Of the more than 25,000 Americans who were estimated to have been killed during the Revolutionary War, somewhere between 8,000 and 12,000 Americans died while held captive, many aboard these decommissioned ships on the East River. The conditions were dire—prisoners were overrun with lice, had limited and often moldy food, and suffered from smallpox, dysentery and typhoid. The unthinkable deaths on these ships are a sobering reminder of the extent of inhumanity in times of conflict.
The exhibition will remain on display through 2026 with programs throughout the year on themes of democracy, history and a free society—including on February 11, when the public is invited to participate in a community conversation on the meaning of freedom today.
“Using rare maps, artifacts and documents from our collection, this free exhibition asks visitors to consider not only how should we remember this complex battle—fought on the streets of Brooklyn we still walk today—but also the lessons it holds for us now,” said Linda E. Johnson, President and CEO, Brooklyn Public Library.
The exhibition is free to the public and opens Thursday, February 5. Location and hours can be found here.
The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered is supported by the Peck Stacpoole Foundation, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the Alvin and Fanny B. Thalheimer Foundation in memory of Bill Coleman, Dutch Culture USA, a program of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the United States, and by Hon. Robert C. Carroll, Chair, New York State Assembly Committee on Libraries and Education Technology, the New York State Legislature and the Office of the Governor.
About Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library is one of the nation’s largest library systems and among New York City’s most democratic institutions. Providing innovative library service for over 125 years, we support personal advancement, foster civic literacy, and strengthen the fabric of community among the more than 2.6 million individuals who call Brooklyn home. We are a global leader in the fight for the freedom to read through our Books Unbanned initiative, offering teens across the US access to the library’s online catalog. We provide nearly 65,000 free programs a year with writers, thinkers, artists, and educators—from around the corner and around the world. And we give patrons millions of opportunities to enjoy one of life’s greatest satisfactions: the joy of a good book.