new york quickly grew to become a large and important port city. the stamp act congress met in new york in october 1765, as the sons of liberty. it organized in the city, and they skirmished over the next ten years with british troops stationed there. the important battle of long island of the american revolution was fought in brooklyn in 1776; it was the biggest battle of the war. the americans lost the battle. the british used the area as its headquarters for the war in north america.