How America's First Statue Controversy Toppled King George III

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In 1766, the Province of New York ordered a gilt-covered lead equestrian statue of King George III to be erected in New York City. However, as the American Revolution began, colonists grew increasingly resentful of the British monarch. In 1776, after the Declaration of Independence was read to Washington's troops, a group of 40 soldiers and sailors tore down the statue, breaking it into pieces. The lead from the statue was then melted down and used to make musket balls to fire at the British troops.

Why it matters

This incident represents one of the earliest examples of 'statue politics' in America, where the removal of a public monument became a symbolic act of defiance against the ruling power. It also highlights how the American Revolution transformed public sentiment, as a statue that was once erected to honor the king was later destroyed and repurposed as ammunition against the British.

The details

In 1766, the Province of New York passed a resolution honoring King George III and ordered a gilt-covered lead equestrian statue of him to be erected in New York City's Bowling Green neighborhood. However, as the American Revolution began, colonists grew increasingly resentful of the British monarch. In 1775, the 'shot heard round the world' marked the opening battle of the Revolutionary War. The following year, when the Declaration of Independence was signed, George's reputation had dramatically deteriorated, going from 'our most gracious sovereign' to someone 'whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant'.

• On July 9, 1776, Gen. George Washington ordered the Declaration of Independence to be read to his soldiers in New York City.
• That night, 40 soldiers and sailors tied ropes around the statue and pulled it down, breaking it into dozens of pieces.