During the American Revolutionary War, settlers on the south shore of Hempstead were aligned with the British cause, and those on the north shore with the Revolutionary cause. So severe was this division that it lead to the formation, in 1784, of the separate Towns of South Hempstead and North Hempstead. The Town Records fail to indicate any reason whatsoever for the division and the only notation of a division is found in the following excerpt: At a Town meeting held Hempstead according to adjournment the 15th day of April 1784 and the Town being then divided into two towns and after the town officers for South Hempstead were chosen the Town meeting chose by major vote John Hendrickson Senior and Nathaniel Seaman as a committee to associate with a committee to be chosen by the Town of North Hempstead for the purposes of dividing the poor and poor house of the two townships. [from: Town of Hempstead. Town Records (1761-1784), Vol. 4, pp. 386-387]