Teacher Resources
New York City
Inquiry Question
How does a city rebuild its identity after years of military occupation? What evidence do we have of how New Yorkers experienced the British withdrawal?
Primary Sources
What Teachers and Students Use
Hessian Officers' Reports on the New York Campaign, 1776
PRIMARY · Staatsarchiv Marburg (German State Archives)
5 analysis prompts
The Papers of George Washington: Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 6
PRIMARY · University of Virginia Press
5 analysis prompts
Sir Henry Clinton Papers (British Headquarters Papers)
PRIMARY · William L. Clements Library, University of Michigan
5 analysis prompts
The British Prison-Ship: A Poem (Philip Freneau)
PRIMARY · Philip Freneau (self-published)
5 analysis prompts
Journals of the Continental Congress, 1776-1783
PRIMARY · Library of Congress
5 analysis prompts
Downloads
Ready to Print
Student packet, teacher guide with answer key, and quiz — each formatted for classroom printing.
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Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Describe the sequence of events from British evacuation on November 25, 1783 to Washington's farewell to his officers
- 2Explain why New York City was chosen as the first national capital and what that choice signified
- 3Analyze Washington's 1789 inaugural address as a primary source, identifying key themes of republican governance
- 4Connect the physical sites of lower Manhattan — Fraunces Tavern, Federal Hall, St. Paul's Chapel — to the events they witnessed
Explore Further
New York City in the Knowledge Graph
The lesson packet draws from these pages. Use them to extend the lesson or give students primary source context.
Comparative Study
Connected Towns
The corroborate prompts in the student packet point to these towns. Teachers can assign cross-town comparisons.
Trenton
SHARED EVENT
Washington retreated across New Jersey after losing New York, then struck back at Trenton.
Fort Lee
SHARED EVENT
Fort Lee fell as part of the British campaign to capture New York and the Hudson corridor.
Philadelphia
SHARED THEME
The two largest colonial cities, both targeted by British campaigns to break American resistance.
Assessment
New York City in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history. · 5 questions · Answer key in Teacher Guide PDF
What makes New York City 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 York City during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
short answer
+ 2 more in the full quiz PDF
Ready to Print?
All three documents below — student packet, teacher guide, and quiz — are formatted for letter-size classroom printing.