Battle of Brooklyn exhibit explores conflict that shaped American Revolution with rare maps, artifacts
A new exhibition at the Brooklyn Public Library's Center for Brooklyn History is offering visitors a deeper look at Brooklyn's role in the Revolutionary War and a historic defeat many consider a turning point in American independence.
Chief Historian Dominique Jean-Louis said the exhibit, The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered, highlights the scale and consequences of the conflict through rare maps, paintings, and historical artifacts from 250 years ago.
One of the war's bloodiest battles
The familiar sights of Brooklyn were nearly unrecognizable when the Battle of Brooklyn, one of the bloodiest battles of the war, was fought.
"There's quotes all throughout this exhibition ... but one of my favorites is from Charles Higgins. It basically says, 'The Declaration [of Independence] was signed in ink in Philadelphia, but it was signed and sealed in blood in Brooklyn,'" Jean-Louis said.
Jean-Louis described the battle as the largest of the American Revolution and a defining early clash between British and American forces.
"It was the first time that the British and American forces kind of faced off in battle formation. And while it was a loss for the Continental Army, it was a decisive turning point in the Revolutionary War," she said.
Americans held captive in New York Harbor
The exhibition traces the arrival of British troops at Gravesend Bay and examines the grim history of prison ships that held captured Americans in New York Harbor.
"Americans who were captured as prisoners of war were largely sent to these hollowed-out warships, these prison ships, where thousands of people were kept below deck in some of the most deplorable, awful, miserable conditions you can imagine," Jean-Louis said.
It also connects visitors to familiar places where history unfolded, while addressing the role of enslaved labor in the war effort.
"Brooklyn is still a place of farming. Brooklyn is still a place where pigs roam the streets. And we're seeing such an exciting moment of transition," Jean-Louis said. "Thinking about the role of enslaved labor for the Army itself helps us to understand how slavery is not just subtext or, you know, the surrounding of the Battle of Brooklyn. It's a key part of how the events take place."
Early renderings of the New World
Through rare maps, visitors can see early renderings of the New World, created by people who never visited the Americas.
"This piece of paper has been here for almost 500 years," Jean-Louis said, pointing to one of the documents on display. "It shows us the vision of Brooklyn by someone who never saw Brooklyn. They read about someone else's journey to Brooklyn, and they decided to draw this map."
Artifacts including firearms, cannonballs recovered from battlefields and rare paintings of George Washington are also on display.
"One of the things I love about that is, war can be happening, you're dealing with some of the violence and deepest tragedies of mankind, and you're still making time for art," she said.
The exhibition is free and will remain open through the end of the year, serving as a reminder that traces of the nation's founding history remain embedded throughout Brooklyn.
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