President Jackson visited Castle Garden

In 1833 President Andrew Jackson decided to visit the East Coast.  He spent a few days in Philadelphia taking in the sites at Independence Hall. and then arrived in New York for what was termed a ‘popularity’ visit. He disembarked at Castle Clinton mounted his horse and proceeded to lead a parade of supporters up Broadway to City Hall.  He successfully made it onto dry land but the hundred thousand supporters who followed him turned out to be a bit too heavy for the wooden footbridge connecting the Castle to Battery Park which gave way and a lot of people got wet.