Battle of Golden Hill

This map, titled "Plan of the City of New York in North America," was published in 1776 by Bernard Ratzer and engraved by Thomas Kitchin. Surveyed in 1766-67, it includes detailed information about parts of present-day New York City - Manhattan below 60th Street, Brooklyn north of 30th Street and west of Union Avenue, a small part of modern Queens and Jersey City, New Jersey. It depicts built-up and cultivated areas, streets, rural roads, buildings, piers, streams, ponds, wetlands, relief by hachures, and depths by soundings. It also has a dedication to Sir Henry Moore, the then Governor of New York, and a key to various churches and public buildings. Additionally, it comprises a southwest view of the City of New York, taken from the Governors Island, based on a work by Thomas Davies.

This “Plan of the City of New York” often referred to as the “Ratzen Plan” due to the surveyor, Bernard Ratzer’s name being misspelt, is a colonial era plan of south Manhattan surveyed in 1766 and 1767.  A revised and more accurate version of the John Montresor’s manuscript map of 1767, this map shows ward names and boundaries with a dedication to Sir Henry Moore, the then Governor of New York, and a numbered index of “references” to various churches and public buildings.