- Located in Lower Manhattan at the foot of Broadway next to the site of the original Dutch fort of New Amsterdam
- New York City's first public park
- Built in 1733
- It was originally served as a cattle market and a parade ground for soldiers
- In 1771, an iron fence was put around the park to protect the statue of King George III
- At the northern end, there is a bronze statue of a charging bull
Sources:
"Bowling Green (New York City)." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 05 Oct. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling_Green_(New_York_City)>.
"New York Harbor History." Bay Crossings. Web. 05 Oct. 2011. <http://www.baycrossings.com/archives/2002/04_may/new_york_harbor_history.htm>.
Pictures:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/128/331726017_ab4c21a5d1.jpg (Oct. 5th)
http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Bull-Statue-in-Bowling-Green-new-york-353777_600_400.jpg (Oct. 4)
http://jberkey.com/BowlingGreen.jpg (Oct. 4)
By: Avery Singer & Luke Sherman
I thought it was ridiculously cool how the statue of King George III was pulled down and melted into bullets to serve the Americans during the revolution. Such irony!
ReplyDeleteYea I also thought it was funny how the protestors beheaded the statue as well. I wish we still had the pieces of the crown that were in the fence today. Its also cool to think about how this park was used in so many different ways. The native americans used it as a council ground, the Dutch as a market place/parade ground for soldiers, americans as a protest ground against the British, now a public park.
ReplyDeleteYeah, as to what Luke said, this park had much significance in American history, and something that very much piqued my interest was the statue of the bull; does it signify the fact that the area was used to raise cattle?
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone that it is a very significant park in American History. I already have seen it come up a few times in our readings/a movie we watched in class. When I researched this, I also thought it was so cool how King George III was melted into bullets. I really find the bull very powerful and could now possibly be seen as signifying New Yorkers stubbornness and working hard ethic/determination. I wonder where the crowns ended up...
ReplyDeleteSomething that was very eye catching at Bowling Green was the statue of the Bull. It is very unique and somewhat of an oddity, making for a nice tourist area. Can't imagine a cattle market in New York City...
ReplyDeleteI think the bull is meant to represent the "bull market" of Wall Street (i.e., an optimistic, prosperous market). That is why the police have fenced it off - to keep the Occupy Wall Street people away from it.
ReplyDelete