Teacher Resources
Newport
Students examine what the British occupation of Newport (1776–1779) meant for ordinary residents — those who fled, those who stayed, and those who collaborated — to understand occupation as a human experience, not just a military fact.
Grade Range
7-9
Duration
50 minutes
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
Students examine what the British occupation of Newport (1776–1779) meant for ordinary residents — those who fled, those who stayed, and those who collaborated — to understand occupation as a human experience, not just a military fact.
Essential Questions
- What choices do ordinary people face when their town is occupied by an enemy army?
- How do we judge those who collaborated with occupying forces versus those who resisted or fled?
- What does occupation reveal about the limits of military power over civilian life?
Primary Sources
5 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
Journal de la Campagne en Amérique (Rochambeau's Campaign Journal)
Bibliothèque nationale de France / Library of Congress
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
Memoirs of His Own Time (Mathieu Dumas)
Lea & Blanchard (Philadelphia ed.)
PRIMARY · TIER1
My Campaigns in America (Guillaume de Deux-Ponts)
J.K. Wiggin and W.P. Lunt (Boston)
INSTITUTIONAL · TIER1
Rochambeau National Historic Trail: Newport Segment
National Park Service
View SourcePRIMARY · TIER1
The Revolutionary Journal of Baron Ludwig von Closen, 1780-1783
University of North Carolina Press (ed. Evelyn Acomb)
Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Describe the conditions of British occupation in Newport from 1776 to 1779
- 2Analyze the choices facing Newport residents: flee, stay, or collaborate
- 3Evaluate the economic and social costs of occupation on the town's civilian population
- 4Connect Newport's experience to broader patterns of civilian experience in the Revolutionary War
Assessment
Newport in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
What makes Newport 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 Newport 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.