8. Walt Whitman Garnered Support for the Creation of Fort Greene Park

Walt Whitman worked at the Brooklyn Eagle in the mid-1800s, but he lost his job due to his support for the Wilmot Proviso, a bill that proposed banning slavery in America’s newly acquired Mexican territory.

During his time with the magazine, Whitman argued for the opening of more green public spaces, and eventually successfully appealed for the creation of Fort Greene Park. Today, in his honor, you can embark on a Walt Whitman walking tour of Fort Greene Park. The poet and icon also spent time in Green-Wood Cemetery, at the Brooklyn Navy Yards, and more.