Tyler kills the bank bill; Whigs riot outside the White House

Four months into his presidency, John Tyler had already broken with the party that put him in office. On August 16, 1841, he vetoed a bill to re-establish the Second Bank of the United States, a centerpiece of the Whig legislative program. That night, Whig supporters gathered outside the White House and rioted, the most violent demonstration ever recorded on the grounds. Tyler stayed inside, watching a mob from his own party surround the building…