2. The Declaration of Independence Was Read for the First Time in the City at City Hall Park

Three months before American Revolutionary war soldier, Nathan Hale, was captured and executed by the British, George Washington had gathered his men on the Common (now City Hall Park) to read out loud the Declaration of Independence, which had just been adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

Next time you pay a visit to City Hall Park, look for a bronze plaque by the Broadway entrance that honors this historic event. It bears an inscription that reads:

NEAR THIS SPOT IN THE PRESENCE OF GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WAS READ AND PUBLISHED TO THE AMERICAN ARMY JULY 9, 1776.