Here is a scene that everyone is familiar with: A butterfly in the Amazon rainforest of South America flaps its wings a few times, and two weeks later, it triggers a tornado in Texas. The phenomenon is known as the “butterfly effect,” in which a small deviation in a complex system can ultimately lead to an unexpected, monumental outcome. The butterfly — small and seemingly insignificant — symbolizes how the origins of history can be imperceptible, yet the consequences are beyond imagination.
On August 29, 1776, at a crucial moment in the American Revolutionary War, George Washington’s troops suffered a devastating defeat at the Battle of Long Island. They were trapped on Brooklyn Heights with the wide East River at their backs and over 20,000 elite British troops in front of them. Washington realized that if he did not retreat, his entire army would be annihilated, ending the revolution in its cradle. However, the retreat was a logistical nightmare: 9,000 soldiers needed to cross the 1.1-kilometer-wide East River to reach Manhattan under the nose of the world’s greatest navy.
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