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patriots tore down a statue of King George III and melted it into 42,088 bullets.

They made statues out of lead back then? Ain't nobody melting bronze for musket balls.

On July 9, 1776, after the Declaration of Independence was read aloud in New York City, a crowd of patriots (including soldiers and civilians) marched to Bowling Green, where a 2,000-pound lead statue of King George III stood on horseback. They toppled it, decapitated it, and later melted it down.

The Fate of the Metal: 42,088 Bullets
The statue was made of lead (gilded with gold), which was extremely valuable for making musket balls.

According to accounts, the patriots transported the metal to Litchfield, Connecticut, where General Oliver Wolcott supervised its melting.

The lead was recast into 42,088 bullets for the Continental Army.

Historical Evidence
Eyewitness accounts confirm the event, including entries in the diary of Rev. Ewald Gustav Schaukirk.

Fragments of the statue were later found in the 19th century—some are now in the New-York Historical Society.

The original statue’s design (based on a famous equestrian statue of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius) was well-documented.

Legacy
The act was highly symbolic, marking the rejection of British rule.

The bullets were used in battles, turning the king’s likeness into weapons against his own troops—a powerful irony.