************************************************************************** In this series, I will be covering United States Presidential assassinations and assassination attempts. The format will be as such: Introduction: Basic information, names, dates, etc. Essentially a TL:DR. Post Body: The meat of the post. All the details and such. Segment 1: Information about the assassin. Segment 2: Information about the [attempted] assassination. Segment 3: Aftermath of the [attempted] assassination Footnotes: These will be minor details that were not vitally important to the main post.[1] ************************************************************************** Introduction: President Andrew Jackson (1767 - 1845) was the 7th president of the United States of America (1829 - 1837), and the first to deal with an attempted assassination. Richard Lawrence (circa 1800 - 1861) was a house painter, and later Jackson's attempted assassin. Background: Richard Lawrence was born in Lancashire, England, and moved to the United States at around 12 years of age. During his trial, relatives said that he was a " relatively fine young boy... of good moral habits." At some point in his life, like his late teen years to early 20's, he got a job as a house painter.[2] In 1832, his behavior and mental state experienced a radical shift, as he informed his family that he was leaving for England, before returning a month later stating that it was too cold. He then announced plans to travel again, this time to learn landscape painting. Again, he did not leave, but instead stayed in Philadelphia before returning home. He told his family that "persons", along with the government, had prevented him from travelling. In addition, he told his family that he had seen newspaper articles criticising him and his travel plan. Finally, he decided to travel to Washington DC to hire a boat to get to England himself. In November of 1832, Lawrence quit his job, claiming the US government owed him money. He believed himself to be King Richard III of England, and an owner of two English estates. He eventually convinced himself that the cause of him not receiving the money he was "owed" was President Jackson's opposition to the Second Bank of the United States. He began to plan an assassination, believing that if Jackson were "removed", Martin Van Buren, who would succeed Jackson as President would allow Congress to pay Lawrence the money he felt he was owed. It was at this point that Lawrence's behavior changed completely. He grew a mustache, and began to dress in bright, colorful, flamboyant clothing, changing three to four times a day, and standing at his door for hours at a time.[3] He became paranoid, and aggressive towards others, making death threats to strangers and family alike. Passerby often heard him in laughing and cursing fits, as well as strange conversations with himself. The Attempt: Shortly before the attempt on Jackson's life, Lawrence began to study Jackson's movements. He was often heard muttering to himself in his paint shop about Jackson. On the day of the attempt, he was seen sitting in his shop, laughing with a book in his hand. He abruptly stood up saying "I'll be damned if I don't do it." Jackson was attending a funeral for South Carolina congressman Warren R. Davis, and Lawrence had intended to approach him as he entered, and shoot him. Unable to get close enough to Jackson, Lawrence instead hid behind a pillar, and waited for Jackson to exit the funeral. As Jackson walked passed, Lawrence emerged from behind the pillar and fired his weapon. Jackson stood, startled, but unharmed as the pistol had misfired. Lawrence, prepared for the event, dropped the gun, and drew another, firing that one as well. Again, the pistol misfired, and at this point, Jackson, angered by the attempt on his life, began to beat Lawrence with his cane. The crowd, after the moment of shock had passed, attacked and subdued Lawrence.[4] The Aftermath: Lawrence was put on trial on April 11, 1835. The prosecuting attorney in the trial was Francis Scott Key.[5] Lawrence would rant wildly, often questioning the legitimacy of the trial, stating "It is for me, gentlemen, to pass judgment on you, and not you upon me." The jury quickly decided that Lawrence was "not guilty by reason of insanity." After being sent to multiple mental hospitals, he was eventually placed in the Government Hospital for the Insane, which is now Saint Elizabeths Hospital, where he died on June 13, 1861. [1]: Example [2]: Chemicals in the paints may have caused brain damage, leading to his mental instability. [3]:Passing children would jokingly call him "King Richard", which Lawrence mistook for sincere comments. [4]:The crowd included Congressman Davy Crockett, who was walking alongside Jackson. [5]:Writer of the Star Spangled Banner