#OnThisDate January 30, 1835: A Close Call

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President Andrew Jackson Survived The First Recorded Assassination Attempt On A Sitting U.S. President. The Attack Occurred In Washington, D.C., At The United States Capitol, Marking A Pivotal Moment In American History. The Would-Be Assassin, Richard Lawrence, Failed In His Attempt Due To An Extraordinary Double Misfire, An Event That Remains A Historical Anomaly.

On That Fateful Day, Jackson Attended The Funeral Of Representative Warren R. Davis At The House Of Representatives' Chamber. As He Exited, Richard Lawrence, An Unemployed House Painter, Approached Him Near The East Portico Of The Capitol. Without Warning, Lawrence Pulled A Derringer Pistol And Fired At Jackson From Close Range.

Miraculously, The Pistol Misfired. Startled But Undeterred, Lawrence Drew A Second Derringer And Fired Again. In Another Improbable Stroke Of Fortune, The Second Pistol Also Failed To Discharge. The Failure Of Both Weapons—A Statistically Improbable Event—Saved Jackson’s Life.

At Sixty-Seven Years Old, Jackson Was Known For His Fiery Temper And Military Background. Rather Than Retreat, He Lunged At Lawrence, Striking Him With His Cane. Witnesses, Including Congressman Davy Crockett, Quickly Intervened And Subdued The Would-Be Assassin. Lawrence Was Disarmed And Arrested On The Spot.

Richard Lawrence, A Mentally Unstable Man, Believed That He Was The Rightful King Of England And That Jackson’s Economic Policies Had Personally Harmed Him. He Specifically Blamed Jackson For Closing The Second Bank Of The United States, Which He Falsely Thought Had Caused Financial Ruin. Lawrence Had Convinced Himself That If Jackson Were Dead, His Supposed Fortune Would Be Restored.

During His Trial In April 1835, Lawrence Repeatedly Exhibited Erratic Behavior. After A Brief Deliberation, A Jury Found Him Not Guilty By Reason Of Insanity. He Was Committed To Various Mental Institutions, Spending The Remainder Of His Life In Confinement.

Following The Assassination Attempt, Both Of Lawrence’s Derringer Pistols Were Tested. Shockingly, Both Fired Correctly When Examined, Raising Speculation About The Role Of Fate Or Divine Intervention In Saving Jackson’s Life. Statisticians Estimated The Chances Of Both Guns Misfiring At 125,000 To 1.

Jackson, A Staunch Believer In Destiny, Saw The Failed Attempt As Proof Of Divine Protection Over His Presidency. The Incident Only Reinforced His Populist Image, Making Him Even More Beloved Among His Supporters. It Also Fueled Conspiracy Theories, With Some Speculating That Lawrence Was Hired By Political Enemies To Eliminate Jackson. However, No Evidence Ever Emerged To Support This Claim.

This Event Also Exposed The Lack Of Formal Security For U.S. Presidents. At The Time, There Was No Dedicated Protective Service, And Presidents Moved Freely Among The Public. The Attack Highlighted The Risks Leaders Faced, Setting A Precedent For Future Security Reforms.

While Jackson Survived Unscathed, The 1835 Attempt Remains One Of The Most Bizarre And Significant Moments In Presidential History. It Underscored The Need For Greater Protection For National Leaders, A Lesson That Would Take Decades—And Several Tragic Assassinations—To Fully Implement.

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