The image of Andrew Jackson charging his would be assassin and beating him senseless never ceases to amuse me, as is the fact that his guards needed to pull him off his would be killer.
I wouldn't be surprised if Richard Lawrence actually had a legitimate reason to shoot Jackson and said something crazy out of fear he'd personally execute him had he been proven sane
I always loved this story. Guy has two pistols and AJ beats him down with his cane. Moral of the story is, never bring less than 3 guns to fight an unarmed Andrew Jackson. He was the Chuck Norris of American Presidents.
Read about the trail of tears before you cannonize Jackson. Or the depression he started that ended up in the next President’s lap (Van Buren) Albeit, he doesn’t play golf 1/3 of the days he’s president like tfg. His deteriorating health at the time may have been due to lead poisoning from a couple bullets he’d been carrying around. Dueling is a b.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan are old men now too, but I still wouldn't want to face either of them if they were coming at me with a stick. Jackson was on a similar level.
@@emceeunderdogrising We understand all that regarding yourself and ones like you but, now how about Jackson? We observing would like to know, there being so much riding on your wise words. With alacrity we await this . . .
His son, Philip, did not fare so well. He was murdered by Congressman Daniel Sickles of NY in 1859 for having an affair with the congressman's wife. Sickles pleaded temporary insanity and walked. This was the first time such a plea was used in a US court.
Indeed. We tend to remember our forefathers for the single or few of their most impactful actions, yet we fail to remember their lifetimes of purpose and experience which culminated in those singular or few iconic accomplishments. Francis Scott Key was far more than the Penman of what we now know as The Star Spangled Banner (his poem; The Defence Of Fort McHenry)
I agree with your conclusion. Misfires were not uncommon in both flintlock and percussion firearms under field conditions. Test firing in a dry environment is not comparable to carrying a loaded pistol in a pocket on a rain-soaked day and then attempting to discharge it. It may be apocryphal, but I've been told Jackson cursed the man while beating him with his cane, claiming he could not tolerate a fool who did not know how to properly load a pistol. It certainly seems like something Jackson would say.
One of the enigmatic features of this is that while the firearm came late to Japan the match lock musket remained in fairly extensive use. The most probable explanation for this isn’t a lack of understanding of the technology but rather the substantially greater reliability of the weapon.
@@David0lyle Considering the tactics used where the matchlock long rifles were up against a combination of archer walls and cannons the greater accuracy and lower failure rate was a major boon. A lot of the fighting in the 16th century was in the mountain ranges and near the coast which both have high humidity, and the bows had a big advantage in that aspect. Problem was it took years to train a bowman, but only days to train ranged infantry.
also he claimed to have loaded them as many as 4 days earlier, which is not something you would do if you want to reliably discharge such a firearm in the future. Normally you would load it no more then a few hours before firing or even better, load just moments before firing. I don't think any test actually had anyone loading the firearms, waiting 4 full days, carrying it in possibly rain soaked streets under a coat, and then firing it there after. This would have most likely significantly reduced the chance of it firing properly and significantly increased the chance of missfire.
Lawrence was definitely insane. First he thought he was the legitimate King of England, and secondly, he thought assassinating ANDREW JACKSON was a good idea. You don't fire on a man who has been in multiple duels, because you don't fight so many duels unless you're very good at it.
@@swrennie Jackson had also taken a few shots in his many duels. Indeed the joke goes that the bullets refused to fire because they saw targeting Jackson as pointless.
"Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young. Old warriors did not get old by accident; they got old by being wise, having the right knowledge, and being tough. Never underestimate an old man who has grown up in a rough profession or a rough environment." I do not like Andrew Jackson as a person nor a politician, but I cannot deny the man was a fearless leader. "Old Hickory" is a nickname well-deserved.
At the start you said he claimed he loaded the pistols days before the attempt. This is the most likely cause of the misfires. Common practice with black powder arms was to discharge them every day and reload so the powder, which absorbs moisture is dry, keep your powder dry was a very important piece of advice.
12:43 Whoa! *That* Francis Scott Key?! I never knew that. You'd think they'd mention that in the history books. I'm not as great an admirer of Jackson as some, but I really have to admire a man who can barely walk without assistance, confronted by an assassin with multiple firearms, armed only with his cane, who responds by taking a vigorous offensive. We need more men like that.
I would love to see a video about the Flood of ‘37. My grandma used to tell me stories about it and Johnny Cash used to sing about it. We lived in Arkansas about 30 miles from where he grew up.
It's I remember reading the story years ago, Crockett grabbed the assassin and by doing so got between Jackson and the assassin. His intention was to restrain the assassin not to stop Jackson. Crockett and Jackson were good friends, both being from Tennessee. It's probably been more than 50 years since I read about this, so I could be mistaken.
@@jan_phd Does PhD stand for piled higher and deeper? Jackson was a man of his time and though you can judge him through modern woke lenses he did what he thought was best back then. I especially appreciate his hatred of the federal bank. He's looking been proven right on that.
@@patrickdurham8393 Some of us are more modern and awake than others. Jackson ignored the ruling of the supreme court and created the Trail of Tears. But I'm guessing you didn't know that. Or don't care.
@@robloughrey Woke doesn't change history and neither does ignoring or carping about it. I've probably forgotten more about Jackson than you'll ever know. I worked on his former home The Hermitage for several years and so read everything I could find to brings things to periodic times. History happened and you can't change it. You can hide or ignore it at your peril.
As a law enforcement officer what I find most interesting about this incident is the professionalism by which the investigation was conducted. The accused was given a fair trial, the evidence was examined and weighed, even his well-being and competence was evaluated professionally. Very impressive for the day.
One of the funniest moments in history! The only time the Presidents guards had to protect an assassin from the President! Jackson is a classic legend!
Witness the whole-hearted embracement of the Russia conspiracy theory by corporate media (don't call them mainstream - they're not mainstream) and the new revelations about Hamilton 68, a digital “dashboard” that claimed to track Russian influence and was the source of hundreds if not thousands of mainstream print and TV news stories in the Trump years. “These accounts,” Twitter concluded in recently released internal documents, “are neither strongly Russian nor strongly bots. No evidence to support the statement that the dashboard is a finger on the pulse of Russian information ops.” It was a scam. Instead of tracking how “Russia” influenced American attitudes, Hamilton 68 simply collected a handful of mostly real, mostly American accounts, and described their organic conversations as Russian scheming. “When I was growing up, my father told me about the McCarthyite blacklist,” says Oregon native Jacob Levich, who was falsely listed. “As a child it would never have occurred to me that this would come back, in force and broadly, in a way… designed to undermine rights we hold dear.”
Black powder is very hygroscopic and damp weather can indeed affect both the powder and the priming cap of the day. While more reliable than flintlock ignition, percussion caps are still not entirely reliable. It wasn’t until the development of the metallic cartridge with center fire ignition that people could count on the gun firing. Even then, we learned to put a thin sealant over both the primers and around the mouth of the case where the bullet sits in order to seal out moisture.
On my still-reliable .44 Uberti replica, I bench-load it with fresh-powder, and seal the caps with just a hint of nail-polish, after I seal each chamber load itself with bore-wax. That, and a .460-round ball have NEVER-failed me! I willingly-admit to loading mis and/or hang-fires under pressure at competitions...but I have yet to load-either of such from my-much calmer bench setting, lol!
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. The more things change, the more they remain the same. This episode in our history doesn't seem out of place today...
100% not surprised AJ charged at his would be assassin, or that somebody tried to kill him, he he was known for being an aggressively ornery asshole. 😆
I didn't know your shows where played on the radio. I listened to the kidnapping of princess Anne. Even in the day of podcasts and RUclips, it was a nice way to listen while on the road.
Another fine episode, thanks. If you haven't done it already, I'd like to see an episode about the unfortunate assassination of President James Garfield. From what little I know about it, he suffered quite a bit before he died due to the incompetence of his physicians. Also his assassin, Charles Guiteau, was as mentally ill as Richard Lawrence.
Jackson was a great patriot who eliminated the debt, sent the central bankers packing and brokered an agreement avoiding civil war for a generation. Most of all, Jackson was a badass.
Have you ever covered the livestock feed contamination in Michigan back in the 70s? Ron Howard was the actor in a movie about it in the early 80s. EDIT: It's the 1973 PBB disaster.
My uncle was telling me about that, he said there where a lot of cows buried outside of St Louis MI that were involved with that incident(Much of my family is from that area)
He probably oiled the pistols before loading them, and forgot to clean the excess oil from the bore and/or nipple. Then the powder absorbed the oil over time. The assassination attempt burned away enough oil to allow the charges to fire during later testing by the government. Black powder guns often misfire, even today. Snapping a few percussion caps before a session of shooting is done by many black powder shooters.
Waited 12 minutes but you got to Francis Scott Key. I guess because I lived in Frederick Maryland for 20 years, Key is one of the historical figures I've followed closely and knew of his involvement in this case.
I once met the secret Queen of England. She had some amazing knowledge of space aliens. Met her again when she was ON her medication. Nice both times but much more interesting as Queen.
I had a patient who thought he was Jesus. He had a very off the wall set of religious writings, about all this. I always swore, if you dropped him down in any pub, I'd have put money on him coming out with several followers, a very charismatic man.
@@capt.bart.roberts4975 I actually like most of the crazy people I've met. Most are harmless to all but themselves. When I realize what's going on I just try to look out for them and get them whatever help I can.
Have you read " The Professor and the Madman?" True story about the genesis of the Oxford English Dictionary, by Simon Winchester. There's a movie version with Mel Gibson as the Madman. (I don't really want to promote or support Mel Gibson's bigotry or crazy religous ideas, but he was very good at portraying a madman).
"You can be a gambler, who never drew a hand/ you can be a sailor, who never left dry land/ you can be Lord Jesus, all the world will understand/ Down Where the Drunkards Roll...." from a great song by Richard and Linda Thompson
@@goodun2974 A friend recommended that book to me and I've enjoyed it several times over the years. It turned me on to Simon Winchesters many other works, which are also very interesting and well-told. When I heard there was to be a movie version of 'Professor and the Madman' it was something I looked look forward to, but unfortunately I found it quite unsatisfactory, mostly because it so greatly expanded, romanticized, and 'Hollywoodized' the relationship between the madman and his victim's widow. The things I loved about the book were pushed far into the background. But why should that story be any different from the many others that have been distorted almost beyond recognition by Hollywood.
Regarding the misfire you also said he loaded it days before using it. And it seems like that was not tested after the fact. Add that to the weather conditions it seems quite likely the pistol would misfire. Poor timing on the assasins part.
I've studied the history of politics in the US in the 19th century. I'm always amused when people talk about how dirty politics is today & how it's gotten worse than in the 'old days'. Politics today is like a Sunday school picnic compared to the 19th century!
And he did, putting a large and long crimp into their plans, this from a crushed Biddle to 1913. For such a crimper they reserved their most 'special' opprobrium: Jackson's face front-and-center on their currency. Doubtless-so a Pyrrhic Victory, if ever there was one.
So Interesting to see famous people appear in historical events we've never read about in history books? I remember writing in in the margins of my Son's history books in pencil the "Real Story" behind accounts, and my son getting a failing grade for this? I was livid! Arguing with his Teacher and even when the Teacher agreed with me, he told me that going against the curriculum that was outlined by the Education System wouldn't change the grading system! Appalling in the USA that teaching FALSE HISTORY is acceptable! No wonder why so many do not trust the Government?
I'm puzzled by their estimated odds of failure, 1 in 125,000. That's the cube root of 50, I would have expected with two gun failures that it would be the square root of something like the chance of one gun failing is one in 50 so the chance of both failing is one in 50 squared or one in 2500. I wonder where the other 50 comes from.
I'm the History Guy, not the Math Guy.... I was quoting a secondary source (The History Channel website, here: www.history.com/news/andrew-jackson-dodges-an-assassination-attempt-180-years-ago) but the calculation is supposed to have come from this book: www.google.com/books/edition/The_American_Miracle/cCxnDQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22125000+to+1%22+jackson&pg=PA183&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=%22125000%20to%201%22%20jackson&f=false
@@ryangray9881 no one is going to estimate a chance of misfire at 1 in 354. They might estimate 1 in 350 or 375 or even 400. But estimates like that are going to be round numbers, 354 implies precision they just don't have.
@@roberteltze4850 You're right! I don't have the numbers from their tests. I was estimating myself off their numbers. The Smithsonian tested the guns used in the assassination 100 years after the event and found the original expert was correct in his odds calculation. The odds of 1 in 125,000 are the tested result estimation. Not an objective guess but a qualitative number to reasonably estimate the odds. I wish I could see the real numbers from the tests they ran. I hate how numbers get dumbed down and simplified. I just did the math I assumed the weapons expert had done in reverse and my estimate was roughly 1 in 354. No one would guess that number. Statisticians usually like to amplify numbers then round because at the end of the day it's a smaller margin of error when relaying a nice easy number, like 125,000. I'm assuming they actually fired the gun in test conditions until misfire a few times which can take thousands of rounds even in an antique firearm. I wanna see that data too!
Fun fact: the Federal Reserve, the ones who print our money and sell it to us at a profit, is a private corporation. Not a government agency. They have staunchly resisted being audited, because they know it would expose them ripping us off for decades.
I've read that he is the only president to have killed a man in a duel; I don't know if he had any duel while he served as President of the United States.
Jackson fought several duels, but all before becoming president. One of these was with Thomas Hart Benton, who was in Congress at the same time Jackson was president (the duel was before either was elected).
Count me as those who consider this providential. Jackson and his legacy with primarily say Polk, directly led to the continental acquisition in our status as a superpower, which enabled much of our power to be wrought during both world wars and where we find ourselves today. One of those things that should make you wonder. I know where I stand at least.
I was trying to commit on the last post but oh well this will do . I just turned 51 and as a child in the 70s. We had a neighbor that lived behind my grandparents. His name was Gilbert per is. He would tell my dad stories of how he was a member of teddy Roosevelt's ruff riders. 1 that comes to mind is how Teddy was the only one that had a horse. He said they were some ruff ass walkers. He was I believe 104yro when he past. With a clear mind. And there is YOU some history that deserves to be remembered.
On the day he told us that story. He and my dad were talking about the Army. My dad just got out on a medical discharge. Mr Pervis. Said "I was in the war, and the mules couldn't pull the cannons over the hill".. My dad's thinking 🤔 mules?, Cannons.? What war are you talking about? .. "damn it boy, the big war.the Spanish American war... It's amazing what we can learn from just talking to the older generation. Maybe some day some kid will ask me about the past. And I'll tell them about floating up and down the E coast of Africa for 48 days in 1993.. how I could see land, but not touch it. I guess 1 good thing is I never shot at anyone and no one shot at me. Aircraft carriers have that in there favor.
Knowing that percussion and flintlock firearms were prone to misfires, I am surprised that when John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln thirty years later, that the same thing didn't happen. The fact of misfires, no doubt, is probably why Booth carried backup weapons such as a .44 Colt Army revolver and a Bowie knife.
An old friend who was a third generation painter, told me that there was a time painters couldn't get insurance. Something to do with lead in the paint and other hazards of their trade.
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10, NIV) - Intent is comparison of political strife now versus 188 years ago.
@@katestyrsky329 In what way was it ineffective? I have read his policies extensively. Are we battling Native Americans for land today? Did American citizens benefit from his policies? Specifically those seeking to settle lands in Georgia and Florids?
The nickname came from his troops during the War of 1812 and refers to his toughness, supposedly as tough as an old hickory tree. Some accounts suggest that people intervening saved Lawrence’s life, as Jackson would have beaten him to death, while others suggest that Jackson had merely moved towards him, but not actually struck him. Lawrence seems not to have been badly injured, and instead said that his fear was that the cane might, as was not uncommon at the time, conceal a sword.
Misfires were a reality of muzzleloading pistols for number of reasons. Moisture in the firing mechanism , wet powder, improper priming, dull flints even lack of or poor cleaning.
The image of Andrew Jackson charging his would be assassin and beating him senseless never ceases to amuse me, as is the fact that his guards needed to pull him off his would be killer.
It fits his character
I wouldn't be surprised if Richard Lawrence actually had a legitimate reason to shoot Jackson and said something crazy out of fear he'd personally execute him had he been proven sane
The things you have to go through to get your picture on a twenty dollar bill...
That’s funny 😊
Jackson needs to be taken off of the $20 for what he did to the Native American people.
@@robsterTN Go away, Commie.
@@robsterTN Americas first Democrat President cancelled? Oh the irony.
@@dezznutz3743 Thank you for that tidbit! Hundred years later fellow Demonrat FDR would intern Japanese citizens. Starting to see a pattern here......
I always loved this story. Guy has two pistols and AJ beats him down with his cane. Moral of the story is, never bring less than 3 guns to fight an unarmed Andrew Jackson. He was the Chuck Norris of American Presidents.
Read about the trail of tears before you cannonize Jackson. Or the depression he started that ended up in the next President’s lap (Van Buren) Albeit, he doesn’t play golf 1/3 of the days he’s president like tfg. His deteriorating health at the time may have been due to lead poisoning from a couple bullets he’d been carrying around. Dueling is a b.
Teddy Rosevelt was another Presidential Norris.
@@marksieber4626 How condescending of you
@@bluelionsage99 yup, continued he speech for almost 90 minutes after being shot!! 100% Bull Moose
Good argument for a 30 round mag...
Imagine the assassin being asked by his cellmate:
"How did you get caught?"
"An old man beat me with a stick."
"And the old man is the President of the United States."
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan are old men now too, but I still wouldn't want to face either of them if they were coming at me with a stick. Jackson was on a similar level.
Common back then as everyone carried one
😄
"My pistol misfired and this let him charge me with his hard wood cane. It's somewhat embarrassing, mate!"
I always imagined that the reason that neither pistol fired was because they were both afraid of Jackson.
Cracked Magazine.
No it's bc the guns were racist.
No reason. Some pieces of shit never get what they deserve.
@@emceeunderdogrising
We understand all that regarding yourself and ones like you but, now how about Jackson? We observing would like to know, there being so much riding on your wise words. With alacrity we await this . . .
It was 2 flint lock pistols not magazine pistols they weren't made back then
Francis Scott Key! Always interesting to see people famous for something totally unrelated to appear in another historical event.
His son, Philip, did not fare so well. He was murdered by Congressman Daniel Sickles of NY in 1859 for having an affair with the congressman's wife. Sickles pleaded temporary insanity and walked. This was the first time such a plea was used in a US court.
Indeed. We tend to remember our forefathers for the single or few of their most impactful actions, yet we fail to remember their lifetimes of purpose and experience which culminated in those singular or few iconic accomplishments. Francis Scott Key was far more than the Penman of what we now know as The Star Spangled Banner (his poem; The Defence Of Fort McHenry)
@@Paladin1873 Had Sickles been convicted, history could have unfolded very differently.
@@AdmRose Are you talking about being outfront of the Union line at Gettysburg
@@carywest9256 I am.
I agree with your conclusion. Misfires were not uncommon in both flintlock and percussion firearms under field conditions. Test firing in a dry environment is not comparable to carrying a loaded pistol in a pocket on a rain-soaked day and then attempting to discharge it. It may be apocryphal, but I've been told Jackson cursed the man while beating him with his cane, claiming he could not tolerate a fool who did not know how to properly load a pistol. It certainly seems like something Jackson would say.
One of the enigmatic features of this is that while the firearm came late to Japan the match lock musket remained in fairly extensive use. The most probable explanation for this isn’t a lack of understanding of the technology but rather the substantially greater reliability of the weapon.
@@David0lyle Considering the tactics used where the matchlock long rifles were up against a combination of archer walls and cannons the greater accuracy and lower failure rate was a major boon. A lot of the fighting in the 16th century was in the mountain ranges and near the coast which both have high humidity, and the bows had a big advantage in that aspect. Problem was it took years to train a bowman, but only days to train ranged infantry.
also he claimed to have loaded them as many as 4 days earlier, which is not something you would do if you want to reliably discharge such a firearm in the future. Normally you would load it no more then a few hours before firing or even better, load just moments before firing. I don't think any test actually had anyone loading the firearms, waiting 4 full days, carrying it in possibly rain soaked streets under a coat, and then firing it there after. This would have most likely significantly reduced the chance of it firing properly and significantly increased the chance of missfire.
It seems men were a bit tougher back then.. lol. I could just imagine a modern president attacking his assassin after an attempt like that..!! 😂😂
That is why flintlock were converted to percussion. Less chance of misfires.
Lawrence was definitely insane. First he thought he was the legitimate King of England, and secondly, he thought assassinating ANDREW JACKSON was a good idea. You don't fire on a man who has been in multiple duels, because you don't fight so many duels unless you're very good at it.
On the other hand, shooting at him while unarmed seems like an eminently safe and well-thought out proposition.
@@swrennie Jackson had also taken a few shots in his many duels. Indeed the joke goes that the bullets refused to fire because they saw targeting Jackson as pointless.
Takes a madman to fight another madman
"Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young. Old warriors did not get old by accident; they got old by being wise, having the right knowledge, and being tough. Never underestimate an old man who has grown up in a rough profession or a rough environment."
I do not like Andrew Jackson as a person nor a politician, but I cannot deny the man was a fearless leader. "Old Hickory" is a nickname well-deserved.
Mr. Lawrence's claim is fascinating. Do you know what the Lawrence family was famous for in Scotland? The Black Watch. They guarded the King.
At the start you said he claimed he loaded the pistols days before the attempt. This is the most likely cause of the misfires. Common practice with black powder arms was to discharge them every day and reload so the powder, which absorbs moisture is dry, keep your powder dry was a very important piece of advice.
Never bring a gun to a cane fight.
Imagine that politicians that are at each other’s throat and calling the other liars and propagating stuff that has been proven false.
Crazy right?!?
I imagine it bigly.
Nothing new under the sun…
Of course they are much more honest and civilised now.
Thank God that would never happen today. 🤣
The funny part of this assassination attempt is that Jackson's bodyguard had to intervene to save the assassin from Jackson! 🤣
You forgot the best part where Davy Crockett jumped in and subdued the assassin, while Jackson beat the assassin with his walking stick.
What an excellent piece of history to bring us 'at this time in history'. Thank You
Back on 1835 they didn’t need the secret service they just needed 1 Davey Crocket.
12:43 Whoa! *That* Francis Scott Key?! I never knew that. You'd think they'd mention that in the history books.
I'm not as great an admirer of Jackson as some, but I really have to admire a man who can barely walk without assistance, confronted by an assassin with multiple firearms, armed only with his cane, who responds by taking a vigorous offensive. We need more men like that.
I would love to see a video about the Flood of ‘37. My grandma used to tell me stories about it and Johnny Cash used to sing about it. We lived in Arkansas about 30 miles from where he grew up.
I think that flood made an impression on Cash. He tended to write and sing with some emotion.
"and Johnny Cash used to sing about it." Do you mean the song 'Five Feet High and Rising"?
@@almostfm yes
Most shocking part is that attempted murder was a misdemeanor.
Of a politician.... (sic)
Imagine a politician making outlandish claims about himself!!!
And being persecuted unfairly by the
Media
@@davepetrini1195 Or percecuted fairly. With over reach, speculation.
The world would be a better place if political assassination was only a misdemeanor.
Another great episode.
Assassin: *Guns misfire*
Jackson: This one is what we call a sacrificial lamb
It's I remember reading the story years ago, Crockett grabbed the assassin and by doing so got between Jackson and the assassin. His intention was to restrain the assassin not to stop Jackson. Crockett and Jackson were good friends, both being from Tennessee. It's probably been more than 50 years since I read about this, so I could be mistaken.
This should have succeeded. The continuance of Andrew Jackson, has led to the chaos and hate our society is suffering today.
@@jan_phd I think you need a good cookie. Yes..
@@jan_phd Does PhD stand for piled higher and deeper? Jackson was a man of his time and though you can judge him through modern woke lenses he did what he thought was best back then. I especially appreciate his hatred of the federal bank. He's looking been proven right on that.
@@patrickdurham8393 Some of us are more modern and awake than others. Jackson ignored the ruling of the supreme court and created the Trail of Tears. But I'm guessing you didn't know that. Or don't care.
@@robloughrey Woke doesn't change history and neither does ignoring or carping about it. I've probably forgotten more about Jackson than you'll ever know. I worked on his former home The Hermitage for several years and so read everything I could find to brings things to periodic times. History happened and you can't change it. You can hide or ignore it at your peril.
As a law enforcement officer what I find most interesting about this incident is the professionalism by which the investigation was conducted. The accused was given a fair trial, the evidence was examined and weighed, even his well-being and competence was evaluated professionally. Very impressive for the day.
Thank you for posting this. Im lying down w a migraine, and your presentations are nice to listen to w my eyes closed. ❤❤❤
As a writer long ago put it: the reasons the guns misfired was because the bullets saw what they were aimed at and said "nope"!
been waiting for this. THANKS!
One of the funniest moments in history!
The only time the Presidents guards had to protect an assassin from the President!
Jackson is a classic legend!
I appreciate you, thank you for making content.
You're the best History Guy.
Thank you History Guy !!
I adore your videos, listening to your voice it's like Kermit the Frog blowing your mind with juicy trivia. Utterly hooked!
So it seems nothing has changed amongst the jackals in DC....
We tend to forget that the press and politics has always made the news and facts of the matter to be skewed for argument.
The partisan reactions to the apparent assassination attempt, unfortunately, wouldn't be out of place in the current political climate.
Witness the whole-hearted embracement of the Russia conspiracy theory by corporate media (don't call them mainstream - they're not mainstream) and the new revelations about Hamilton 68, a digital “dashboard” that claimed to track Russian influence and was the source of hundreds if not thousands of mainstream print and TV news stories in the Trump years. “These accounts,” Twitter concluded in recently released internal documents, “are neither strongly Russian nor strongly bots. No evidence to support the statement that the dashboard is a finger on the pulse of Russian information ops.”
It was a scam. Instead of tracking how “Russia” influenced American attitudes, Hamilton 68 simply collected a handful of mostly real, mostly American accounts, and described their organic conversations as Russian scheming. “When I was growing up, my father told me about the McCarthyite blacklist,” says Oregon native Jacob Levich, who was falsely listed. “As a child it would never have occurred to me that this would come back, in force and broadly, in a way… designed to undermine rights we hold dear.”
Interesting as always. Thank you.
Good morning from Ft Worth TX to everyone watching.
Gm from Minneapolis
G’morning from Maryland!
Good morning from Hillsboro, Texas.
Good morning from Licking Missouri
Black powder is very hygroscopic and damp weather can indeed affect both the powder and the priming cap of the day. While more reliable than flintlock ignition, percussion caps are still not entirely reliable. It wasn’t until the development of the metallic cartridge with center fire ignition that people could count on the gun firing. Even then, we learned to put a thin sealant over both the primers and around the mouth of the case where the bullet sits in order to seal out moisture.
On my still-reliable .44 Uberti replica, I bench-load it with fresh-powder, and seal the caps with just a hint of nail-polish, after I seal each chamber load itself with bore-wax. That, and a .460-round ball have NEVER-failed me!
I willingly-admit to loading mis and/or hang-fires under pressure at competitions...but I have yet to load-either of such from my-much calmer bench setting, lol!
Whence the counsel that Oliver Cromwell is said to have imparted to his troops on the eve of battle: "Put your faith in G-d and keep your powder dry."
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. The more things change, the more they remain the same.
This episode in our history doesn't seem out of place today...
I love the way they spoke and wrote in those days.
It makes me wonder if was Jackson's lucky day or Lawrence having a bad day (or both).
100% not surprised AJ charged at his would be assassin, or that somebody tried to kill him, he he was known for being an aggressively ornery asshole. 😆
Thank you.
I didn't know your shows where played on the radio. I listened to the kidnapping of princess Anne. Even in the day of podcasts and RUclips, it was a nice way to listen while on the road.
I suspect you were in Kansas…
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel that is correct.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel , but what happened when he wasn't in Kansas anymore?🤔😁
Monty Python once re-enacted the death of a Queen: " Arrhh you Mah-ree, Qwain of Scuts?". "Oy yam". (Followed by the sounds of someone being beaten!)
@@goodun2974 I play regularly on KFRM, and, with a few exceptions, you have to be in the middle of Kansas to find me on the radio.
Another fine episode, thanks. If you haven't done it already, I'd like to see an episode about the unfortunate assassination of President James Garfield. From what little I know about it, he suffered quite a bit before he died due to the incompetence of his physicians. Also his assassin, Charles Guiteau, was as mentally ill as Richard Lawrence.
fantsatic and wonderfull to watch!!! nothing has changed one iota in DC
Jackson was a great patriot who eliminated the debt, sent the central bankers packing and brokered an agreement avoiding civil war for a generation. Most of all, Jackson was a badass.
Which is why we don’t hear more about him
And then a "crazy guy" tries to kill the President.
Good story. Well told. Nice work.
Have you ever covered the livestock feed contamination in Michigan back in the 70s? Ron Howard was the actor in a movie about it in the early 80s.
EDIT: It's the 1973 PBB disaster.
I remember that movie. Hundreds, probably thousands of contaminated cattle had to be shot and buried. Likely ruined a lot of farmers.
My uncle was telling me about that, he said there where a lot of cows buried outside of St Louis MI that were involved with that incident(Much of my family is from that area)
Thanks!
Thank You!
Jackson was a frontier man protecting himself second nature.loved what he did to national bank
He probably oiled the pistols before loading them, and forgot to clean the excess oil from the bore and/or nipple. Then the powder absorbed the oil over time. The assassination attempt burned away enough oil to allow the charges to fire during later testing by the government. Black powder guns often misfire, even today. Snapping a few percussion caps before a session of shooting is done by many black powder shooters.
An extremely interesting subject - and a cogent account. Thank you.
I heard he had loaded the pistols 3 or 4 days prior. That and the wet weather could account for the guns not firing.
Waited 12 minutes but you got to Francis Scott Key. I guess because I lived in Frederick Maryland for 20 years, Key is one of the historical figures I've followed closely and knew of his involvement in this case.
Fascinating!
thanks
I once met the secret Queen of England. She had some amazing knowledge of space aliens. Met her again when she was ON her medication. Nice both times but much more interesting as Queen.
I had a patient who thought he was Jesus. He had a very off the wall set of religious writings, about all this. I always swore, if you dropped him down in any pub, I'd have put money on him coming out with several followers, a very charismatic man.
@@capt.bart.roberts4975 I actually like most of the crazy people I've met. Most are harmless to all but themselves. When I realize what's going on I just try to look out for them and get them whatever help I can.
Have you read " The Professor and the Madman?" True story about the genesis of the Oxford English Dictionary, by Simon Winchester. There's a movie version with Mel Gibson as the Madman. (I don't really want to promote or support Mel Gibson's bigotry or crazy religous ideas, but he was very good at portraying a madman).
"You can be a gambler, who never drew a hand/ you can be a sailor, who never left dry land/ you can be Lord Jesus, all the world will understand/ Down Where the Drunkards Roll...." from a great song by Richard and Linda Thompson
@@goodun2974 A friend recommended that book to me and I've enjoyed it several times over the years. It turned me on to Simon Winchesters many other works, which are also very interesting and well-told. When I heard there was to be a movie version of 'Professor and the Madman' it was something I looked look forward to, but unfortunately I found it quite unsatisfactory, mostly because it so greatly expanded, romanticized, and 'Hollywoodized' the relationship between the madman and his victim's widow. The things I loved about the book were pushed far into the background. But why should that story be any different from the many others that have been distorted almost beyond recognition by Hollywood.
I enjoy your stories quite a lot, but was surprised by the error of saying Senator Poindexter was of Tennessee rather than Mississippi.
That fool brought pistols to a cane fight. Classic mistake.
the banks tried but failed to take him out. Jackson is one of the best presidents
perhaps the powder may have got a bit damp?
Seems most likely
Paint was prepared on site and White lead was powdered and ground with linseed oil which was the base for many colors white lead was used as a drier
Fascinating
Regarding the misfire you also said he loaded it days before using it. And it seems like that was not tested after the fact. Add that to the weather conditions it seems quite likely the pistol would misfire. Poor timing on the assasins part.
I like his bow tie. Bow ties are cool...
Andrew Jackson spent his time as President battling the Central Bank... do the math.
Right in character, that Jackson caned the would-be assailant.
I've studied the history of politics in the US in the 19th century. I'm always amused when people talk about how dirty politics is today & how it's gotten worse than in the 'old days'. Politics today is like a Sunday school picnic compared to the 19th century!
"I killed the banks" - on Jackson's tomb. ⭐
And he did, putting a large and long crimp into their plans, this from a crushed Biddle to 1913.
For such a crimper they reserved their most 'special' opprobrium: Jackson's face front-and-center on their currency.
Doubtless-so a Pyrrhic Victory, if ever there was one.
Great story. I think that Jackson was a bad-ass . Also a great usage of the words harangue and besotted
He was indeed. One of my favorites. Too bad we don't have duels anymore.
@@vincentefox6707 duels would weed out the dregs
So Interesting to see famous people appear in historical events we've never read about in history books?
I remember writing in in the margins of my Son's history books in pencil the "Real Story" behind accounts, and my son getting a failing grade for this? I was livid! Arguing with his Teacher and even when the Teacher agreed with me, he told me that going against the curriculum that was outlined by the Education System wouldn't change the grading system!
Appalling in the USA that teaching FALSE HISTORY is acceptable!
No wonder why so many do not trust the Government?
Good morning
I'm puzzled by their estimated odds of failure, 1 in 125,000. That's the cube root of 50, I would have expected with two gun failures that it would be the square root of something like the chance of one gun failing is one in 50 so the chance of both failing is one in 50 squared or one in 2500. I wonder where the other 50 comes from.
I'm the History Guy, not the Math Guy.... I was quoting a secondary source (The History Channel website, here: www.history.com/news/andrew-jackson-dodges-an-assassination-attempt-180-years-ago) but the calculation is supposed to have come from this book: www.google.com/books/edition/The_American_Miracle/cCxnDQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22125000+to+1%22+jackson&pg=PA183&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=%22125000%20to%201%22%20jackson&f=false
The odds are closer to 1 in 354 chance of misfire failure. The odds of that happening twice in a row is about 1 in 125,000.
@@ryangray9881 no one is going to estimate a chance of misfire at 1 in 354. They might estimate 1 in 350 or 375 or even 400. But estimates like that are going to be round numbers, 354 implies precision they just don't have.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel nice Dr. McCoy comeback!
@@roberteltze4850 You're right! I don't have the numbers from their tests. I was estimating myself off their numbers. The Smithsonian tested the guns used in the assassination 100 years after the event and found the original expert was correct in his odds calculation. The odds of 1 in 125,000 are the tested result estimation. Not an objective guess but a qualitative number to reasonably estimate the odds. I wish I could see the real numbers from the tests they ran. I hate how numbers get dumbed down and simplified. I just did the math I assumed the weapons expert had done in reverse and my estimate was roughly 1 in 354. No one would guess that number. Statisticians usually like to amplify numbers then round because at the end of the day it's a smaller margin of error when relaying a nice easy number, like 125,000. I'm assuming they actually fired the gun in test conditions until misfire a few times which can take thousands of rounds even in an antique firearm. I wanna see that data too!
there was a touch of madness on both ends of those pistols.
Those odds on the Derringers misfiring are cray cray!
Literally the irl equivalent of rolling a nat 1.
In fact, two critical misses in a row.
Another fascinating episode. I guess today's political polarization isn't so unusual
Not a lot about Central Banking 'eh History Guy.
He doesn't want to get censored on RUclips
Weird that every president against private Central banking finds himself on the business end of a bullet, McKinley also
Lincoln, Kennedy also.
@Shawn R those are the more known ones yea, almost no one is aware of McKinley
Fun fact: the Federal Reserve, the ones who print our money and sell it to us at a profit, is a private corporation. Not a government agency. They have staunchly resisted being audited, because they know it would expose them ripping us off for decades.
Shhhh
Careful
Isn't Andrew Jackson the only person that had a duel while he was president
I've read that he is the only president to have killed a man in a duel; I don't know if he had any duel while he served as President of the United States.
Jackson fought several duels, but all before becoming president.
One of these was with Thomas Hart Benton, who was in Congress at the same time Jackson was president (the duel was before either was elected).
The more things change....the more they stay the same.
Have you ever done a video on the national cathedral?
Brilliant and timely. But maybe this is always timely.
Count me as those who consider this providential. Jackson and his legacy with primarily say Polk, directly led to the continental acquisition in our status as a superpower, which enabled much of our power to be wrought during both world wars and where we find ourselves today. One of those things that should make you wonder. I know where I stand at least.
I regard it as providential, too. Jackson also kept civil war from occurring decades before it did.
I was trying to commit on the last post but oh well this will do .
I just turned 51 and as a child in the 70s. We had a neighbor that lived behind my grandparents. His name was Gilbert per is. He would tell my dad stories of how he was a member of teddy Roosevelt's ruff riders. 1 that comes to mind is how Teddy was the only one that had a horse. He said they were some ruff ass walkers. He was I believe 104yro when he past. With a clear mind. And there is YOU some history that deserves to be remembered.
Yes, there was nit enough transport for the horses.
On the day he told us that story. He and my dad were talking about the Army. My dad just got out on a medical discharge. Mr Pervis. Said "I was in the war, and the mules couldn't pull the cannons over the hill".. My dad's thinking 🤔 mules?, Cannons.? What war are you talking about? .. "damn it boy, the big war.the Spanish American war... It's amazing what we can learn from just talking to the older generation. Maybe some day some kid will ask me about the past. And I'll tell them about floating up and down the E coast of Africa for 48 days in 1993.. how I could see land, but not touch it. I guess 1 good thing is I never shot at anyone and no one shot at me. Aircraft carriers have that in there favor.
Jackson was a total badass
THAT is why the squirming worms among us hate him.
Am I the only one reading this thread that can see some parallels between that event, and the events of 6 January 2021 ?
Yes. You're the only one. Because on Jan 6, the only person to get killed was an unarmed protester.
*guy fires two pistols*
God: “I am not ready for that noise.”
Devil: “neither am I.”
Politics hasn't changed one bit!
Knowing that percussion and flintlock firearms were prone to misfires, I am surprised that when John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln thirty years later, that the same thing didn't happen. The fact of misfires, no doubt, is probably why Booth carried backup weapons such as a
.44 Colt Army revolver and a Bowie knife.
Hence the phrase, keep your powder dry.
An old friend who was a third generation painter, told me that there was a time painters couldn't get insurance. Something to do with lead in the paint and other hazards of their trade.
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10, NIV) - Intent is comparison of political strife now versus 188 years ago.
Old Hickory 💪🏾
A President whom actively solved problems; what happened to these capable politicians?
you might want to read up on Jackson's "problem solving" in regard to native American tribes.
@@katestyrsky329 In what way was it ineffective? I have read his policies extensively. Are we battling Native Americans for land today? Did American citizens benefit from his policies? Specifically those seeking to settle lands in Georgia and Florids?
Indeed odd and a crazy guyRichard Lawrence he was......Thanks to THG🎀
To bad, most in the current generation don’t learn all these little lessons. And I think it was Devine interception.
Do you mean Divine intervention?
Never heard of this assassination attempt, so congrats!
In your description, I think you meant trial not trail. Unless that was interesting 🤔
How is it that no history course I took in high school or college mentions this event? At least not that I recall.
But he was called Old Hickory before this, right? Or was this the defining event? I'd also like to know what damage he inflicted with his cane.
The nickname came from his troops during the War of 1812 and refers to his toughness, supposedly as tough as an old hickory tree.
Some accounts suggest that people intervening saved Lawrence’s life, as Jackson would have beaten him to death, while others suggest that Jackson had merely moved towards him, but not actually struck him.
Lawrence seems not to have been badly injured, and instead said that his fear was that the cane might, as was not uncommon at the time, conceal a sword.
Misfires were a reality of muzzleloading pistols for number of reasons. Moisture in the firing mechanism , wet powder, improper priming, dull flints even lack of or poor cleaning.