British Evacuate Philadelphia

The British army under General Clinton evacuated Philadelphia and marched overland to New York, abandoning the city they had held for nine months. The withdrawal was prompted by France's entry into the war, which made the British position in Philadelphia strategically untenable — a French fleet could trap them in the Delaware.

Washington's army pursued Clinton across New Jersey, leading to the Battle of Monmouth on June 28. Philadelphia's patriots returned to a city that had been largely preserved but was politically transformed. The experience of occupation — and the collaboration of some residents with the British — left deep scars that shaped Philadelphia's politics for years.