Central Park, Elitism, and the Destruction of Seneca Village

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Aerial view of Manhattan looking south over Central Park July 2007 in New York City. AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA. Source: (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

Central Park, the 778-acre splash of green in the middle of New York City, is a world-famous urban park that offers city-dwellers a refuge into nature as far as the eye can see. While Central Park is a shining jewel in the Big Apple, the creation of the vast park was not without controversy. To make room for the sprawling green space, the city had to destroy an African-American village and relocate its residents.

Let's look at the history of the United States' first urban park