Video: 'Liberty - Battle of Long Island PBS' (Aug. 27, 1776, at 13:47)

(Tuesday, August 27, 1776, 1:00 a.m. local time; during the American Revolutionary War and the American Revolution) — The Battle of Long Island, the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War to take place after the United States declared its independence on July 4, 1776, began today as British troops attacked American forces to gain control of the strategically important city of New York.

Video: 'The Revolution: Declaring Independence' (Aug. 27, 1776, at 34:56)