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Teacher Resource Packet

Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control

Newport, RI

Grades 7-9·50 minutes

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.

This Packet Includes

  • Learning Objectives & Essential Questions
  • 5 Primary Source Analysis Worksheets
  • 3 Reading & Activity Handouts
  • Assessment Quiz (5 questions)
  • Answer Key
Unit:Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control — Lesson Overview
History is for Everyone
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Learning Objectives

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Describe the conditions of British occupation in Newport from 1776 to 1779
  2. Analyze the choices facing Newport residents: flee, stay, or collaborate
  3. Evaluate the economic and social costs of occupation on the town's civilian population
  4. Connect Newport's experience to broader patterns of civilian experience in the Revolutionary War

Essential Questions

Keep these questions in mind as you work through this packet:

  • 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?
Unit:Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control — Primary Source Analysis
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Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 1 of 5
Document Information
DocumentJournal de la Campagne en Amérique (Rochambeau's Campaign Journal)
SourceBibliothèque nationale de France / Library of Congress
TypePRIMARY
Journal de la Campagne en Amérique (Rochambeau's Campaign Journal)

Journal de la Campagne en Amérique (Rochambeau's Campaign Journal)

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Newport, RI? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 2 of 5
Document Information
DocumentMemoirs of His Own Time (Mathieu Dumas)
SourceLea & Blanchard (Philadelphia ed.)
TypePRIMARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Newport, RI? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 3 of 5
Document Information
DocumentMy Campaigns in America (Guillaume de Deux-Ponts)
SourceJ.K. Wiggin and W.P. Lunt (Boston)
TypePRIMARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Newport, RI? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 4 of 5
Document Information
DocumentRochambeau National Historic Trail: Newport Segment
SourceNational Park Service
TypeINSTITUTIONAL
Rochambeau National Historic Trail: Newport Segment

Rochambeau National Historic Trail: Newport Segment

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What is the institution's mission?

  5. How does that mission shape the presentation?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Newport, RI? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:
Primary Source 5 of 5
Document Information
DocumentThe Revolutionary Journal of Baron Ludwig von Closen, 1780-1783
SourceUniversity of North Carolina Press (ed. Evelyn Acomb)
TypePRIMARY

Analysis Questions

Read the document carefully, then answer each question in complete sentences.

  1. Who created this source and why?

  2. When was this source created?

  3. What perspective does this source represent?

  4. What was happening when this was written?

  5. How might the author's position affect their account?

Reflection

How does this source connect to what happened in Newport, RI? What does it tell you about the people involved?

Unit:Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control — Newport Event Timeline
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Name: Date: Period:

Newport Event Timeline

timeline

Students place key events in chronological order and add details

# Newport Revolutionary Timeline


Instructions: Place the following events in order and add one detail about each.


  • [ ] Rochambeau's Army Departs Newport for Yorktown
  • [ ] Rochambeau's French Army Arrives in Newport
  • [ ] French Army Marches from Newport Toward Yorktown
  • [ ] Washington's Letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport
  • [ ] British Occupation of Newport Begins

---


| Event | Date | Significance |

|-------|------|-------------|

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Unit:Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control — Primary Source Analysis
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

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 Newport during the Revolution?


_______________________________________________


## Perspective

Whose voice is represented? Whose might be missing?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control — Key Figures Profile
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Name: Date: Period:

Key Figures Profile

worksheet

Research template for Revolutionary figures

# Revolutionary Figure Profile


## Basic Information

  • Name: _________________
  • Birth/Death Years: _________________
  • Occupation(s): _________________

## Role in the Revolution

### Comte de Rochambeau

Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, Comte de Rochambeau, commanded the French expeditionary force that arrived in Newport in July 1780. His patience, professionalism, and willingness to serve under Washington were essential to the alliance that won the war at Yorktown.


My questions about this person:

1.

2.



## Reflection

Which figure interests you most and why?


_______________________________________________

Unit:Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control — Assessment
History is for Everyone
Name: Date: Period:

Newport in the American Revolution

Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.

  1. 1.  What makes Newport significant in Revolutionary history?

  2. 2.  Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.

  3. 3.  Name one event that occurred in Newport during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.

    Answer:

  4. 4.  Why is it important to consider multiple perspectives when studying history?

  5. 5.  Describe one connection between this town and another Revolutionary-era town we discussed.

    Answer:

ANSWER KEY · TEACHER COPY · DO NOT DISTRIBUTE

Newport in the American Revolution

Occupied Newport: What It Meant to Live Under British Control — Newport, RI

  1. 1.What makes Newport significant in Revolutionary history?
    Answer:A

    Newport played a significant role in the American Revolution as evidenced by the events we studied.

  2. 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. 3.Name one event that occurred in Newport 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. 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. 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.