The Petticoat Affair

What other factors played a role in their increasing animosity for one another?

-Calhoun did not agree with Jackson's opinion of the nature of the union -Calhoun opposed Jackson's protective tariff that came to be known as the "Tariff of Abominations". -Calhoun didn't like that Jackson fought in the Seminole Wars in Florida. Jackson felt betrayed by Calhoun in the Seminole War when he learned Calhoun hadn't defended him. -Calhoun's wife mistreated Margaret and shunned her.

Who, according to the author, is responsible for making the social scandal a political one?

Andrew Jackson is responsible, and his reaction to the affair made it even worse: He fires the entire cabinet because their wives were mistreating Margaret.

Why was he so loyal to her?

He was so loyal to Margaret because he related to her situation. It reminded him of what happened to his wife, Rachel. Rachel was torn apart by society and died of a heart attack (likely from stress and depression), and he blamed his political enemies for her death.

Why did Andrew Jackson's marriage become a political issue?

His wife had also been a victim of social gossip when she first came to Washington. People (like John Quincy Adams) gossiped that her first marriage had not legally ended before she married Jackson to make them look bad.

How does the tale of scandal in early Washington speak to political life today?

It merged political life and personal life. Now, gender roles, infidelity, and character are looked at in addition to (and sometimes more closely than) policy.

How did Andrew Jackson explain the opposition to Margaret?

Jackson believed that this was also a plot by Calhoun to drive Eaton out of the Cabinet. He thought they were using Margaret to hurt his political career.

What role did the scandal play in Jackson's relationship with Calhoun?

Jackson felt that Calhoun (and other anti-Jackson officials) were fanning the flames of the Peggy Eaton controversy in an attempt to gain political leverage.

Who is the author of the Petticoat Affair?

John F. Marszalek

How does the author explain the social opposition to Margaret Eaton?

Marszalek argues that it was because she didn't follow the appropriate role for women. If they would have accepted her, it would look like they were accepting the sexual immorality, lack of sophistication, low class, etc.

Who was the primary political beneficiary of the scandal? Why?

Martin van Buren: the entire cabinet is either fired by Jackson or leaves, except him, so he looks good. He becomes Jackson's Vice President and eventually is elected the next President

How did the state of society play a role in opposition to her?

Society cared a lot about gender roles and how women should look and act.

Why did Margaret Eaton's enemies claim that they shunned her?

There were many reasons to shun her: she eloped with her husband, wasn't of high class, didn't follow the widow's morning code, talked politics, etc. But it was the charge of sexual immorality that they claimed.

What is the Petticoat Affair?

U.S. scandal involving members of President Andrew Jackson's Cabinet and their wives. Led by Floride Calhoun, wife of Vice President John C. Calhoun, these women socially ostracized John Eaton and his wife Peggy over disapproval of the circumstances surrounding their marriage and what they considered her failure to meet the moral standards of a cabinet wife. The affair shook up the Jackson administration and led to the resignation of all but one cabinet member. It facilitated Martin Van Buren's rise to the presidency and was, in part, responsible for Calhoun's transformation from a national political figure with presidential aspirations into a sectional leader of the slave-holding Southern states.