On June 4, 1738, the future King George III was born at Norfolk House in London. He became king in 1760 on the death of his grandfather, George II (his father had already passed away, putting him next in the line for the throne) and ruled for 60 years, making him at the time the longest reigning monarch. Of course, in America his reign ended much earlier--in New York City on July 9, 1776, when New York became the thirteenth and final colony to ratify the Declaration of Independence.
The above postcard was issued in 1909 as part of the massive Hudson-Fulton Celebration that year. One of the largest parties New York has ever thrown, the festival marked three centuries since Henry Hudson's arrival in New York Harbor and a hundred years since Robert Fulton's successful launch of the steamship Claremont.
One part of the celebration was a parade with floats depicting key scenes from New York history. In the image above, angry colonists are shown tearing down George III's statue in Bowling Green Park on the evening of July 9, 1776, having just heard the Declaration of Independence for the first time. The image is remarkably accurate considering how many depictions of the event are fanciful:
Interested in seeing this spot in person? Check out our Lower Manhattan tour, which can be customized to focus on colonial/Revolutionary War history.
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