Fort Defiance (Brooklyn) facts for kids
Fort Defiance was an important fort built in Brooklyn, New York, in 1776. It was part of a plan by General Nathanael Greene to protect New York City during the American Revolutionary War. This fort helped defend the city from the British navy.
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Building Fort Defiance
Fort Defiance was built on an island in New York Bay. It was the westernmost fort along Brooklyn Heights. Its job was to protect Upper New York Bay from the British navy. A thousand men worked hard to build the fort in April 1776. They worked under the direction of General Israel Putnam. General George Washington inspected the fort in May. He said it was "exceedingly strong."
What the Fort Looked Like
The fort complex had three small forts, called redoubts, on the island. These redoubts were connected by trenches. There was also an earthwork on the south side of the island. This was to defend against enemy landings.
First Battle Test
On July 12, 1776, the fort faced its first challenge. Admiral Howe sent two British ships, Phoenix and HMS Rose, up to New York City. The cannons at Fort Defiance fired at them. Cannons from Governor's Island and Fort George also fired. The British ships survived the attack. They then bombarded the city. After that, they blocked the crossings at Tarrytown, N.Y..
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Facing the HMS Roebuck
Early on the morning of the Battle of Long Island, the British fleet moved up the harbor. Strong winds forced most ships to turn back. However, H.M.S. Roebuck kept going. It got stuck at Buttermilk Channel. Fort Defiance began firing at the Roebuck. The Roebuck fired back with its own cannons. By mid-morning, the Roebuck's powerful cannons had silenced the fort's defenses. The British ship was damaged, so it pulled back to anchor.
After the War
After the Revolutionary War, Fort Defiance was no longer needed. The fort's earth walls were leveled. Ponds were filled in. The Atlantic Basin was dug out to create a protected dock. The old path to the fort was named the Red Hook Road. By the 1850s, this area became a very busy port in New York City.
Today, Valentino Park has a plaque that remembers Fort Defiance. It is part of the Revolutionary War Heritage Trail. The plaque is about two blocks from where the fort actually stood. That location was near Conover and Van Dyke Streets. In the 1950s, another bronze plaque was placed at Todd Shipyards Corporation. It was on the corner of Dwight and Beard streets. Sadly, that plaque is now lost.
