The Morris-Jumel Mansion is located in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York. It was built in 1765 as a summer villa, by Colonel Roger Morris and his wife, Mary Philipse. Their country estate was named “Mount Morris” and covered about 130 acres from the Harlem to the Hudson Rivers. Mount Morris was one of the highest points in Manhattan and offered views of New Jersey, Connecticut, and the New York harbor, something very helpful, especially in times of war. At that time the island of Manhattan was free of tall buildings and industrialization, there was an abundance of farm land though. When the American Revolution came around, Mary and Roger had to leave their home because they were colonists loyal to the British – or “tories”.

After they left, between September 14 and October 20, 1776, General George Washington and his troops moved in and used the mansion as their temporary headquarters after his army was forced to leave Brooklyn Heights when they loss to the British Army in the Battle of Long Island. This particular area was a strategic location and from there, he planned out his army’s first successful victory which was known as The Battle of Harlem Heights. …show more content…
It was fought during the New York and New Jersey campaign, which were a series of battles to gain control over those two states. Washington wrote to Congress “we are now encamped with the many body of the army on the heights of Harlem, where I should hope the enemy would meet with defeat in case of attack” after they shamefully lost the battle of Long Island prior to this battle. The fact that Washington went to Congress, should not be taken lightly. It illustrates how they play a major role in what goes in the country, as far as important decisions to be made about war, even 200 years