Attempted Assassination of Andrew Jackson

Jackson was leaving the funeral of South Carolina Representative Warren R. Davis at the Capitol when Lawrence approached from the crowd and fired a percussion cap pistol at point-blank range. The weapon misfired, producing only a loud pop without discharging its bullet. Lawrence immediately drew a second pistol, which also failed to fire despite its percussion cap detonating properly.

The 30-year-old Lawrence, an unemployed house painter from England, suffered from documented mental illness and harbored delusions that Jackson’s policies had caused his unemployment and prevented him from claiming an inheritance as rightful heir to the British throne. He believed killing Jackson would restore prosperity and reveal his royal lineage.

Jackson, despite being 67 years old, immediately attacked Lawrence with his walking cane, striking him repeatedly while bystanders including Congressman Davy Crockett subdued the assailant. The president’s vigorous response became legendary, reinforcing his reputation for physical courage and quick temper.

Weapons experts later tested both pistols under identical conditions and found they fired properly, leading to speculation about the remarkably low humidity that day, which may have affected the gunpowder. The statistical probability of two consecutive misfires was calculated at approximately 125,000 to 1, prompting Jackson to attribute his survival to divine intervention.

Lawrence’s trial established legal precedents for the insanity defense in American jurisprudence. Defense attorneys argued he suffered from delusions preventing understanding of his actions’ criminality. After brief deliberation, the jury found Lawrence not guilty by reason of insanity, and he was committed to mental institutions until his death in 1861.

The incident heightened awareness of presidential security vulnerabilities and influenced Jackson’s growing paranoia about assassination plots, which he increasingly attributed to political enemies including Nicholas Biddle and supporters of the National Bank.