Enlarge Pulling down the Statue of King George III After a public reading of the Declaration of Independence at Bowling Green, on July 9, 1776, New Yorkers pulled down the statue of King George III. Parts of the statue were reportedly melted down and used for bullets. Courtesy of Lafayette College Art Collection Easton, Pennsylvania The Declaration of Independence was designed for multiple audiences: the King, the colonists, and the world. It was also designed to multitask.