After fighting for independence from the British, the United States in its early, formative years was acutely sensitive to any governmental overreach that would impinge upon their liberty. At the same time, the Constitution drafters were aware that some measure of government was necessary to keep the country from descending into chaos. The compromise was in the three branches of the government, Executive, Legislative and Judicial, each of which had “checks and balances” over the others.

On this day, March 3, in 1845, Congress first used its check on the Executive Branch, overriding President John Tyler’s veto. The congressional act in this case was not important, but the precedent was.

Tyler had vetoed plenty of measures of Congress, even from members of his own party, while in office, leading to much resentment and a mass exodus of members in protest. It did not help that he took over the office under controversial circumstances: Tyler was Vice President under William Henry Harrison when Harrison died in office. The constitution provided only that the Vice President take over for the President in the event of death or incapacitation, but legislators split whether that meant Tyler would take over the post, or merely the duties of presidency. Tyler, for his part, had no doubts and took the Presidential oath of office in a secret ceremony, leading to some of his detractors calling him “His Ascendancy.”