Life in Revolutionary New York
Social Studies
Introduction
New York City was at the center of the Revolutionary War—the site of the largest battle of the conflict, the longest British military occupation, and the final departure of British forces from American soil. Home to revolutionaries, Loyalists, and neutrals; merchants and workers; immigrants; free and enslaved Black people; and Native peoples, the city was already the world’s most diverse—and among the most deeply polarized. For seven years, New Yorkers endured a brutal British military occupation that tore the city’s social and economic fabric. Everyday decisions became controversies that estranged families and communities. The city was so divided that it was not certain that New York would join the new nation.
In this lesson, students will complete a jigsaw activity to learn about four individuals who lived in and around New York City during the Revolutionary Era. Students will work in groups to learn about each person’s unique perspective by analyzing primary and secondary source documents and presenting their research findings to their classmates. Did their character choose to join the fight as a Revolutionary? Did they remain loyal to the British crown? Or did they fall somewhere in between? How did their decisions and actions influence their life during and after the revolution?
