Teacher Resource Packet
Neighbor Against Neighbor: The Revolution as Civil War in Bergen County
Hackensack, NJ
Students examine the American Revolution as a civil conflict by analyzing the experience of Bergen County, New Jersey, where patriot and Loyalist neighbors turned against each other. Using primary sources including loyalty oaths, confiscation records, and raid reports, students investigate how ordinary people made choices about allegiance and how those choices destroyed communities even as they built a new nation.
This Packet Includes
- Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
- 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
- 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
- Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
- Answer Key
Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- Explain why Bergen County was more divided than most regions during the Revolution and identify the factors that influenced loyalty choices
- Analyze primary sources related to the civil conflict in Bergen County, including loyalty oaths and property confiscation records
- Evaluate the human cost of the Revolution as a civil war by examining the impact on families and communities
- Compare the experience of Bergen County to the broader narrative of the Revolution as a war between nations
Essential Questions
Keep these questions in mind as you work through this packet:
- Why did the Revolution divide Bergen County more deeply than many other communities?
- How did ordinary people decide which side to support, and what happened to those who tried to remain neutral?
- What were the consequences of the Revolution for families and communities that were split by divided loyalties?
- How does understanding the Revolution as a civil war change our understanding of what independence cost?
Warm-Up · 15 minutes
Present students with a scenario: your community is deeply divided over a political question. Your family supports one side, but your closest neighbor and longtime friend supports the other. Armed groups on both sides are pressuring everyone to declare their loyalty. Write a paragraph explaining what you would do and why. Then discuss: what factors would influence your decision?
Differentiation Strategies
Struggling Learners
Provide a graphic organizer with columns for "Patriot Perspective" and "Loyalist Perspective" to organize information from the lesson. Simplify primary source documents with vocabulary support.
Advanced Learners
Research the post-war confiscation process in Bergen County and write an additional analysis of how property seizures affected the social structure of the community for a generation after the war.
ELL Support
Provide a visual timeline of events in Bergen County with key vocabulary defined. Allow the writing assignment to be completed using a structured template with sentence starters.
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What primary sources does this draw from?
What interpretation does the author offer?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in Hackensack, NJ? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Washington's Headquarters: The Hackensack Area in the Revolution
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What is the institution's mission?
How does that mission shape the presentation?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in Hackensack, NJ? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Bergen County in the American Revolution: Primary Sources
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What was happening when this was written?
How might the author's position affect their account?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in Hackensack, NJ? What does it tell you about the people involved?
New Jersey in the American Revolution (Rutgers Encyclopedia)
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What primary sources does this draw from?
What interpretation does the author offer?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in Hackensack, NJ? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Analysis Questions
Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.
Who created this source and why?
When was this source created?
What perspective does this source represent?
What was happening when this was written?
How might the author's position affect their account?
Reflection
How does this source connect to what happened in Hackensack, NJ? What does it tell you about the people involved?
Hackensack Event Timeline
timeline
Students place key events in chronological order and add details
# Hackensack Revolutionary Timeline
Instructions: Place the following events in order and add one detail about each.
- [ ] Washington's Retreat Through Hackensack
- [ ] Fall of Fort Lee
- [ ] Bergen County Divided: Loyalties Split
- [ ] Baylor Massacre at River Vale
- [ ] British Occupation of Bergen County
---
| Event | Date | Significance |
|-------|------|-------------|
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
Primary Source Analysis
graphic organizer
Structured analysis of Revolutionary-era documents
# Primary Source Analysis Worksheet
## Source Information
- Title: _________________
- Author: _________________
- Date: _________________
- Type: _________________
## Observation
What do you notice? (List 3 things)
1.
2.
3.
## Reflection
What do you wonder? (List 2 questions)
1.
2.
## Analysis
What does this source tell us about Hackensack during the Revolution?
_______________________________________________
## Perspective
Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?
_______________________________________________
Key Figures Profile
worksheet
Research template for Revolutionary figures
# Revolutionary Figure Profile
## Basic Information
- Name: _________________
- Birth/Death Years: _________________
- Occupation(s): _________________
## Role in the Revolution
### Reverend Dirck Romeyn
Dutch Reformed minister of Hackensack (1775-1784) who served as a patriot organizer, militia chaplain, and spiritual leader of the independence movement in Bergen County.
My questions about this person:
1.
2.
### Sam of Hackensack
An enslaved man from Bergen County who sought freedom during the Revolution, representing the thousands of enslaved people in northern New Jersey for whom the war presented both danger and opportunity.
My questions about this person:
1.
2.
## Reflection
Which figure interests you most and why?
_______________________________________________
Hackensack in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
1. What makes Hackensack significant in Revolutionary history?
2. Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
3. Name one event that occurred in Hackensack during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
Answer:
4. Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?
5. Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.
Answer:
Hackensack in the American Revolution
Neighbor Against Neighbor: The Revolution as Civil War in Bergen County — Hackensack, NJ
- 1.What makes Hackensack significant in Revolutionary history?Answer:A
Hackensack played a significant role in the American Revolution as evidenced by the events we studied.
- 2.Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.Answer:True
Primary sources provide firsthand evidence about historical events.
- 3.Name one event that occurred in Hackensack during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.Answer:[Varies - accept any accurate event with reasonable explanation]
Students should identify a specific event and connect it to broader Revolutionary themes.
- 4.Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?Answer:A
Multiple perspectives help us understand the full complexity of historical events.
- 5.Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.Answer:[Varies - accept any accurate connection]
Students should demonstrate understanding of the interconnected nature of Revolutionary events.