CBH Talk | The Battle of Brooklyn Revisited: A Screening & Conversation

The Battle of Brooklyn, the largest battle of the American Revolution, unfolded across landscapes many of us pass every day without realizing the history beneath our feet. This screening of The Brave Man, directed by filmmaker Joseph M. McCarthy brings that pivotal moment vividly to life focusing on the dramatic stand at the Old Stone House, the soldiers whose actions shaped the course of the war, and the legendary leadership of William Alexander – Lord Stirling – whose bold defense helped delay British forces and enabled a crucial American retreat.

Following the film, McCarthy joins historian Barnet Schecter, one of the foremost interpreters of Revolutionary-era New York, for a conversation that deepens the story behind the film. Led in conversation by CBH Chief Historian Dominique Jean-Louis, they will explore the significance of the Battle of Brooklyn and how memory, place, and storytelling continue to shape our understanding of the Revolution.

This program is presented in conjunction with the Center for Brooklyn History’s current exhibition, The Battle of Brooklyn: Fought and Remembered, which traces how this defining conflict has been commemorated, contested, and reimagined over time.