British military engineer Lt. John Montresor produced this plan of New York under orders from Gen. Thomas Gage, whose forces were headquartered in the city. Tensions were high between citizens and British officials and soldiers, and for his own safety, Montresor conducted his surveys for the plan in secret. The resulting plan focuses on topography, rather than streets and structures, and is the first map of New York detail the outlying areas of Manhattan, beyond the city itself.