The first presidential assassination attempt was a near-miss involving two pistols
In short: Before the famous killing of Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson survived a bizarre assassination attempt. This video explores how a single man's pistols failed to fire, leaving a president alive and a political conspiracy theory in his wake.
On January 30, 1835, Andrew Jackson became the first American president to face an assassination attempt. The assailant, Richard Lawrence, was likely a mentally unstable individual rather than a political operative, though Jackson believed he was hired by Whig Party opponents during their battle over the Bank of the United States.
The attempt relied on two derringers that both failed to fire, a statistical anomaly with odds estimated at one in 125,000. While Jackson's suspicions regarding political involvement were never proven, the event left his vice president, Martin Van Buren, carrying loaded pistols for protection during Senate visits.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The First Presidential Assassination Attempt
- Also: Andrew Jackson narrowly escapes assassination | January 30, 1835 | HISTORY
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