Teacher Resources
New Brunswick
New Brunswick experienced the Revolution's full cycle in compressed form: Continental retreat in December 1776, British occupation and foraging, Continental return in January 1777. Students use this sequence to analyze how civilian communities in contested territory navigated changing military occupation, and what the shift from retreat to advance meant for morale and allegiance.
Grade Range
7-9
Duration
2 class periods
Included
3 Resources
What's Included
Everything
You Need
- 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
- Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
- 3 printable handouts
Lesson Overview
New Brunswick experienced the Revolution's full cycle in compressed form: Continental retreat in December 1776, British occupation and foraging, Continental return in January 1777. Students use this sequence to analyze how civilian communities in contested territory navigated changing military occupation, and what the shift from retreat to advance meant for morale and allegiance.
Essential Questions
- How do civilian communities survive military occupation? What strategies did New Brunswick residents use?
- What is the relationship between how an occupying army treats civilians and whether those civilians support the enemy? What evidence do we have from New Jersey?
Primary Sources
5 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
Washington's Dispatches from New Brunswick and the New Jersey Retreat, November-December 1776
Library of Congress, George Washington Papers
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
Lord Cornwallis's Reports on the Pursuit Across New Jersey, 1776
UK National Archives, War Office Papers
SECONDARY · TIER1
Washington's Crossing
Oxford University Press (David Hackett Fischer)
INSTITUTIONAL · TIER1
Rutgers University Special Collections: New Jersey Revolutionary War Records
Rutgers University Libraries
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
New Jersey Gazette, 1777-1783
New Jersey State Library, Newspaper Collections
Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Describe the sequence of Continental retreat, British occupation, and Continental return through New Brunswick in 1776–1777
- 2Analyze how British foraging and property seizure affected civilian allegiances in New Jersey
- 3Evaluate primary sources from both Continental soldiers and New Brunswick civilians describing the occupation
- 4Explain the psychological significance of Washington's army returning through New Brunswick after Trenton and Princeton
Assessment
New Brunswick in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
What makes New Brunswick significant in Revolutionary history?
multiple choice
Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
true false
Name one event that occurred in New Brunswick during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
short answer
+ 2 more questions in the full packet
Ready to Print?
The full teacher packet includes cover page, lesson plan, all primary source worksheets, quiz, answer key, and standards alignment — formatted for classroom printing.