In which 1776 battle did George Washington’s army suffer its largest defeat?

George Washington’s army suffered its largest defeat of the Revolutionary War at the Battle of Long Island in 1776.

The battle took place on August 27, 1776, in what is now Brooklyn, New York. British and German forces under General William Howe defeated the Continental Army after outflanking American positions near the Jamaica Pass. The fighting followed the Declaration of Independence by less than two months.

Washington’s forces suffered heavy casualties and were eventually evacuated from Long Island across the East River to Manhattan. That withdrawal preserved the army, even though the British captured New York City and controlled it for much of the war.

The battle is also called the Battle of Brooklyn. It was the largest battle of the entire American Revolutionary War by troop participation, not merely Washington’s largest defeat.