Bergen County’s Loyalist Divide | Jersey News

Jersey City News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Jul 6, 2026 · 2m

George Washington once called Bergen County enemy territory—not just metaphorically, but because it was a loyalist stronghold where even the Revolutionary War tore families apart. In 1776, he barred his troops from stopping in Hackensack to prevent a breakout of imprisoned loyalist governor William Franklin. Bergen’s prosperity tied to New York made its residents more inclined to support Britain, and when the war came, the county sent more men to fight the British than for Washington. Not a single militiaman showed up to defend it. Even prominent families were split—like Colonel Theunis Dey…