Bowling Green and Stamp Act Riots

I. Bowling Green 

1. How the Dutch used it

• Oldest park in New York City (been around since the Dutch era)
• English and Dutch actually used to bowl there
• Was used as a meeting place, cattle market, and parade ground
• Trade route for the Dutch

2. How Native Americans used it

• the council grounds for the Natives
• trading

3. Historic Events

• 1626 - the major sale of Manhattan to Peter Minuit
• 1686 - the Bowling Green became an official public park
• 18th Century - became a residential area as well as a park

4. Major Renovations

Due to construction of the subway, the land became disrupted, but the park was rebuilt because the city expected visitors for the 1939 World's fair.

• taking out the fountain basin
• relocating the interior walkways
• resulted in the park looking totally different

The capitol renovation in 1976-1977 led to the park being restored and even having some improvements ( things like new lampposts and benches)

II. Stamp Act Riots 

1. November 1, 1765 - two companies of the Son’s of liberty went to Bowling Green, where British soldiers were, once they heard the news of the stamp act, and instead of fighting the British soldiers they began to set fires in the park and throw things in it.

• They tore down the iron railings of the park and threw it into the fire and eventually used the iron for fuel
• They destroyed a lot of the governors property including his carriages, scaffold, effigy, horse chaise, two sleighs and other vehicles, and put them into the fire 

 The governor dared not to stop the rioters fearing for his life

2. King George the third had his statue pulled down because he was a bad leader. 

• March 21, 1770 a statue, sculpted by Joseph Wilton, of King George III was erected.
• However in two short years, 1774 to 1776, George III lost all of their faith and favor with the passage of the Coercive Acts, the Quebec Act, the New England Restraining Act, and the Prohibitory Act etc. 
• On July 9th, 1776, seven days after its passage, Washington had the Declaration of Independence read to his troops and the citizens of New York City. After Jefferson cited 27 grievances against the king, he summarized his position in one sentence, “A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.”
• The climactic act occurred when the large crowd marched down Broadway to Bowling Green and pulled down the larger than life statue of George III.
• Within the populace two groups were recognized for having participated in the destruction: Isaac Sears’ Sons of Liberty and Captain Oliver Brown’s soldiers (and some sailors)
• The mob of people pulled down the statue, and later the lead was melted down to make musket balls, or bullets for use in the war for independence. Careful records were kept, and it is known that 42, 088 bullets were made.