Petticoat Affair
After Timberlake’s passing, Peggy married John H. Eaton. Before marrying Peggy, Eaton was first married in 1813 to Myra Lewis. Lewis was taken in by Andrew Jackson and his wife shortly after the death of her parents. During Eaton and Lewis’ marriage, Eaton’s relationship with Jackson grew strong and the pair discussed their passion for politics and the highs and lows of battle.1 Eaton became a trusted “Tennessee friend” and advisor to Jackson through their time spent together.2
When Andrew Jackson was elected President in 1828, he selected Eaton as his Secretary of Defense.3 While serving in the Senate, Eaton resided in a small inn near the capitol owned by none other than Peggy’s family.4 For nearly a decade, the pair crossed paths during social events, family gatherings and more. During Peggy’s marriage to Timberlake, there were some murmurs about her potential relationship with Eaton, but most were set aside due to her husband's military rank and Eaton’s status in the Senate.5 Still, according to unproven gossip, Eaton became familiar with many men at her family’s inn.6
In 1828 after Timberlake’s death, Peggy quickly engaged in a relationship with Eaton.7 Although the relationship became public after Timberlake passed on, assumptions about the passion between Peggy and Eaton were loud and clear within high society. The couple got married on January 1, 1829, only nine months after Timberlake’s passing.8
During this point in society, the mourning period for a spouse was expected to be at least a year long, meaning Eaton was already shaking the grounds of society by taking another husband so quickly.9 Many believed that Peggy must have been involved with Eaton prior to Timberlake’s death. These rumors led to multiple instances referred to as the “Petticoat Affair,” or the “Eaton Affair.”10
Once Peggy married Eaton, she was shunned by the wives of Jackson’s other cabinet members including Vice President John. C. Calhoun’s wife Floride Calhoun.11 Floride was held in high regard amongst the ladies due to her long relationship with the nation's capital. Her husband was in the cabinet as Secretary of War (1817-1825) before serving as Vice President to John Quincy Adams (1825-1829), and later to Andrew Jackson (1829-1832).12
Floride refused to engage with Peggy on account of her “questionable morals” and alleged improper behaviors.13 President Jackson, on the other hand, jumped to Peggy’s aid due to their longstanding friendship. Jackson invited Peggy to all his public events making a statement that Peggy’s label as “outcast” is inappropriate.14
Before the passing of his wife, Rachel, in 1828, Jackson would often write to her about his goals and aspirations for all Americans, including women.15 16 In his presidential farewell address, Jackson stated:
“My public life has been a long one, and I can not hope that it has at all times been free from errors; but I have the consolation of knowing that if mistakes have been committed they have not seriously injured the country I so anxiously endeavored to serve…”17
Here, Jackson alludes to the fact that life in the public eye is no simple feat, and controversial things he did in his presidency did not break the nation’s back. Rather, Jackson’s actions blurred the lines between public duty and personal beliefs. Those who found Peggy’s actions immoral found distrust in President Jackson believing it is hypocritical for a recently widower President who preaches family morals to engage with a woman accused of adultery. Others held Jackson in higher regard since he didn’t let a woman’s personal relations impact her public image or status, nor their personal and professional relationship. These actions led to the eventual disruption of Jackson’s cabinet members, specifically Calhoun and Secretary of State Michael Van Buren.18
Should a woman’s personal behaviors impact her place in society? Should a man in power protect a woman participating in “un-ladylike” behaviors? If so, should the same standards be upheld for men? If a woman’s personal life is set on display for the country to judge, why not do the same for men? These questions rose from the Petticoat Affair, and shaped the way women were viewed during the Jackson Administration, and for years to come.19
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1Patron, James. Life of Andrew Jackson, Vol. 1. 1879. University of California. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/t0ns0kw9n&seq=11&q1=eaton
2Marszalek, John F. “The Eaton Affair: Society and Politics.” Tennessee Historical Quarterly, vol. 55 (1996); 6. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1309989051/fulltextPDF/D3EEBA49AEC84303PQ/1?accountid=12598&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals.
3Patron, James. Life of Andrew Jackson, Vol. 1. 1879. University of California. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark:/13960/t0ns0kw9n&seq=11&q1=eaton.
4Marszalek, John F. “The Eaton Affair: Society and Politics.” Tennessee Historical Quarterly, vol. 55 (1996); 6. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1309989051/fulltextPDF/D3EEBA49AEC84303PQ/1?accountid=12598&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals.
5Wood, Kirsten E. “‘One Woman so Dangerous to Public Morals’: Gender and Power in the Eaton Affair.” Journal of the Early Republic 17, no. 2 (1997): 237–75. https://doi.org/10.2307/3124447.
6Marszalek, John F. “The Eaton Affair: Society and Politics.” Tennessee Historical Quarterly, vol. 55 (1996); 16-18. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1309989051/fulltextPDF/D3EEBA49AEC84303PQ/1?accountid=12598&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals.
7Marszalek, John F. “The Eaton Affair: Society and Politics.” Tennessee Historical Quarterly, vol. 55 (1996); 8. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1309989051/fulltextPDF/D3EEBA49AEC84303PQ/1?accountid=12598&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals.
8Marszalek, John F. “The Eaton Affair: Society and Politics.” Tennessee Historical Quarterly, vol. 55 (1996); 9. https://www.proquest.com/docview/1309989051/fulltextPDF/D3EEBA49AEC84303PQ/1?accountid=12598&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals.
9Wood, Kirsten E. “‘One Woman so Dangerous to Public Morals’: Gender and Power in the Eaton Affair.” Journal of the Early Republic 17, no. 2 (1997): 237–75. https://doi.org/10.2307/3124447.
10Marszalek, John F. “Eaton Affair.” Tennessee Encyclopedia. Tennessee Historical Society. 1998. https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/eaton-affair/. 11“Floride Bonneau Calhoun Calhoun,” Clemson University. https://www.clemson.edu/about/history/bios/floride-calhoun.html.
12“Biographies of the Secretary of State: John Caldwell Calhoun (1782 to 1850).” Office of the Historian, Foreign Services Institute, United States Department of State. https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/calhoun-john-caldwell#:~:text=He%20served%20two%20terms%20as,for%20the%20following%2011%20years.
13“Floride Bonneau Calhoun Calhoun,” Clemson University. https://www.clemson.edu/about/history/bios/floride-calhoun.html.
14Marszalek, John F. “Eaton Affair.” Tennessee Encyclopedia. Tennessee Historical Society. 1998. https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/eaton-affair/.
15“Rachel Donelson Jackson.” The White House, First Families, The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/first-families/rachel-donelson-jackson/.
16Jackson, Rachel Donelson, and Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson to Rachel Donelson Jackson. 1823. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/maj010461/.
17Jackson, Andrew. “Farewell Address.” The American Presidency Project. 1837. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/farewell-address-0.
18Marszalek, John F. “Eaton Affair.” Tennessee Encyclopedia. Tennessee Historical Society. 1998. https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/eaton-affair/
19 Marszalek, John F. “Eaton Affair.” Tennessee Encyclopedia. Tennessee Historical Society. 1998. https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/eaton-affair/.
