Congress Overrides a Presidential Veto for the First Time
Tyler had already left office when Congress humiliated him. The override came on his final day as president—March 3, 1845—over a bill about revenue cutters that nobody remembers now. But the constitutional precedent? That mattered. For 56 years, presidents had wielded the veto like an absolute weapon, killing 51 bills without a single challenge. Andrew Jackson vetoed more legislation than all six presidents before him combined, and Congress just fumed. Then they found their two-thirds majority and discovered the Constitution actually meant what it said. Tyler became the first president to learn his "no" wasn't final, and suddenly every future veto carried a whisper of doubt.
March 3, 1845
181 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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