{"id":57533,"date":"2025-01-30T10:32:58","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T10:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/aerospace\/when-a-house-painter-failed-to-assassinate-president-andrew-jackson-it-was-the-first-such-attempt-in-u-s-presidential-history\/"},"modified":"2025-01-30T10:32:58","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T10:32:58","slug":"when-a-house-painter-failed-to-assassinate-president-andrew-jackson-it-was-the-first-such-attempt-in-u-s-presidential-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=57533","title":{"rendered":"When a House Painter Failed to Assassinate President Andrew Jackson, It Was the First Such Attempt in U.S. Presidential History"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n \"Assassination
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Andrew Jackson\u00a0was exiting the U.S. Capitol\u2019s East Portico when the English-born Lawrence stepped forward from behind a pillar, pulled a derringer single-shot pistol from his jacket, and fired at the president.\u00a0
\n Public domain via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/span>
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On January 30, 1835, unemployed house painter Richard Lawrence tried to change the course of history with an attempt to assassinate<\/a> then-President Andrew Jackson.<\/p>\n

That cold and dreary Friday, Jackson had been attending a funeral in Washington, D.C. for South Carolina Representative Warren Davis. Using a walking cane to support his frail frame, Jackson was just exiting the U.S. Capitol\u2019s East Portico when the English-born Lawrence stepped forward from behind a pillar. He pulled a derringer single-shot pistol from his jacket and fired at the president\u2014but though the cap fired, the bullet failed to discharge. So Lawrence pulled out a second pistol and\u2014as Jackson rushed at the would-be assassin with his cane\u2014pulled the trigger again. It was another misfire.<\/p>\n

At that point, Navy Lieutenant Thomas Gedney tackled Lawrence to the floor, while other spectators including Tennessee Congressman Davy Crockett<\/a>\u2014an eventual legendary frontiersman who later died at the Alamo\u2014helped subdue him. It\u2019s said that Jackson (who was 67 years old at the time) hit Lawrence a few times with his cane before being rushed to the White House<\/a>. It was the first known assassination attempt on a U.S. president.<\/p>\n

Although Lawrence was said to be mild-mannered<\/a>, those familiar with the house painter said that he had grown increasingly delusional in recent years. Not only did Lawrence believe that the U.S. government owed him a large sum of money, but he was also convinced that he was the rightful king of England\u2014with only \u201cKing Andrew<\/a>\u201d standing in his way.<\/p>\n

The months following Jackson\u2019s attempted assassination played out like a political drama. Was it a conspiracy? Had someone hired a hitman to take out the president?<\/p>\n

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The Jackson Assassination Attempt: Why would a house painter try to kill a president?<\/p>\n

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