In the first assassination attempt against a President of the United States, Richard Lawrence attempts to shoot president Andrew Jackson, but fails and is subdued by a crowd, including several congressmen as well as Jackson himself.

Richard Lawrence was a British-born American unemployed house painter who was the first known person to attempt the assassination of a sitting president of the United States. Lawrence attempted to shoot President Andrew Jackson outside the United States Capitol on January 30, 1835, however both of his pistols misfired and he was taken into custody. At trial, Lawrence was found not guilty by reason of insanity and spent the remainder of his life in insane asylums.