Bringing the Battle of Brooklyn to a New Generation

How do you get a new generation to care about a battle fought 250 years ago?

It’s a question that sits at the heart of our work at the American Battlefield Trust. Preserving historic battlefields is essential, but preservation alone isn’t enough. We also need to help people understand why these places matter, what happened on the ground, and how the decisions made there continue to shape our nation today.

As we mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, we have an extraordinary opportunity to bring these stories to new audiences. Our recent social media influencer campaign commemorating the Battle of Brooklyn demonstrated how we can use modern digital storytelling to make history more accessible, engaging, and relevant.

A pivotal battle deserves a bigger audience

Fought on August 27, 1776, the Battle of Brooklyn was the largest battle of the Revolutionary War by the number of troops engaged at that point in the conflict. It was also a devastating defeat for George Washington’s Continental Army.

British forces exploited weaknesses in the American defenses on Long Island, outmaneuvering the Continental troops and inflicting heavy losses. Among the most remarkable episodes was the stand of the Maryland soldiers known as the Maryland 400, whose counterattacks helped other American troops escape encirclement.

By nightfall, Washington’s army was trapped at Brooklyn Heights, with the East River at its back. Under cover of darkness, Washington orchestrated a remarkable evacuation across the river to Manhattan, preserving the Continental Army from destruction.

The British ultimately held New York City for the remainder of the war. Yet the American army survived to fight another day.

It is a story of tactical defeat, extraordinary courage, and strategic survival—a story that reveals just how precarious the American Revolution was in its earliest months.

But a story’s historical importance doesn’t automatically guarantee that people will know about it and engage with the story. We need to meet audiences where they already spend their time and find creative ways to invite them into the past.

Meeting audiences where they are

For the Battle of Brooklyn’s 250th anniversary, we worked with social media influencers to help introduce this pivotal moment in American history to audiences through the platforms and voices they already know and trust.

The strategy reflects a simple principle: people don’t all discover history in the same way.

Some seek out history books, museums, and documentaries. Others encounter the past through a short video in their social media feed, a creator they follow, or a compelling story shared by a friend. By collaborating with influencers, we can reach beyond our established audiences and introduce the American Battlefield Trust—and the stories we preserve—to people who might not otherwise encounter us.

Creators bring their own styles, perspectives, and relationships with their followers. That makes influencer partnerships particularly valuable when the goal is not simply to distribute information, but to spark curiosity and encourage people to learn more.

Our role is to ensure that the history remains accurate and meaningful while giving creators the opportunity to communicate in ways that feel natural to their audiences.

Measuring more than impressions

A successful digital campaign needs more than a compelling idea. We also need to understand whether that idea is working.

That means looking beyond the number of people who might have seen a post. Reach and impressions help us understand the scale of exposure, but engagement offers another perspective: Are people stopping to watch? Are they interacting with the content? Are they sharing the story with others?

And, ultimately, are we giving people a reason to take the next step—to explore the history, visit a battlefield, use an educational resource, or learn about the work of the American Battlefield Trust?

Our Battle of Brooklyn campaign gave us an opportunity to put creator-led storytelling to work around a major historical milestone and evaluate its performance using campaign reporting and engagement data.

Key Metrics

• The campaign generated visibility and engagement, with 379.33K views, 297.47K reported reach, and 18.05K engagements across 35 pieces of content.
• The content prompted sharing and saving, with 1.29K shares and 626 saves extending interaction beyond likes and comments.
• Reached a nearly even gender mix, with 50% female and 49% male audiences.
• Ages 25–34 represented the largest audience segment at 33.04%, followed by ages 18–24 at 25.23%.

These results matter because they help us make better decisions about future campaigns. They allow us to assess which approaches are resonating, where our investment is having the greatest impact, and how we can refine our outreach as the 250th anniversary celebrations continue.

Just as importantly, they reinforce the value of treating digital marketing as a tool for mission delivery—not simply promotion.

From a social media feed to the battlefield itself

At the American Battlefield Trust, our ultimate goal is bigger than a successful social media campaign. We want people to discover the places where American history happened, understand their significance, and recognize why protecting them matters.

That is one of the ideas behind The Liberty Trail, our growing initiative to connect Revolutionary War battlefields and historic sites through interpretation, preservation, and digital experiences.

The Liberty Trail serves as a battlefield guide in your pocket, helping people explore the landscapes, events, and people of the American Revolution. Through digital tours and on-site interpretation, we can help visitors connect the stories they encounter online with the places where those stories unfolded.

The Battle of Brooklyn illustrates why that connection is so important. The battle took place across a landscape that has changed dramatically over two and a half centuries. Yet the decisions made there, the sacrifices of the Maryland 400, and Washington’s desperate nighttime retreat remain essential to understanding the Revolution.

When we bring these stories to new audiences, we create opportunities for people to see their communities and familiar places in a different light. We also help make the case for preserving the historic landscapes that remain.

The 250th anniversary is an invitation

The American Revolution’s 250th anniversary is not a single date on the calendar. It is a multiyear opportunity through 2031 to engage people with the events, ideas, and individuals that shaped the United States.

No single channel or campaign will reach everyone. We need a combination of trusted historical interpretation, compelling creative work, educational resources, on-the-ground experiences, and thoughtful digital outreach.

Influencer partnerships are one part of that broader strategy. When we pair creators’ ability to connect with audiences with the American Battlefield Trust’s commitment to historical accuracy and preservation, we can help more people discover stories that deserve to be remembered.

The Battle of Brooklyn reminds us that the outcome of the American Revolution was never assured. Its history is filled with uncertainty, sacrifice, ingenuity, and perseverance. Those are powerful themes, and they deserve to reach audiences far beyond the traditional history enthusiast.

Our challenge—and our opportunity—is to make sure the next generation encounters these stories, understands why they matter, and feels inspired to explore them further. 

Preserving the past is only part of our mission. Helping people connect with it is how we ensure that its lessons endure.