Andrew Jackson stormed into the White House as the result of winning one of the most malicious
and brutal presidential campaigns in history.
Rumors, gossip, and ugly politics were part of both the 1824 and 1828 election campaigns.
Would these issues continue to plague Jackson during his presidency?
Andrew Jackson took office in 1829, and his two terms as president marked a historic shift
for the country.
However, the first two years of his presidency were marred by a major political scandal revolving
around his close friend and Secretary of War, John Eaton.
John Eaton had married a widowed woman named Margaret “Peggy” Timberlake.
Although the couple received the blessing of Jackson, who had recently lost his wife,
most Washington socialites strongly disapproved of Peggy Eaton because of her upbringing,
flirtatious nature, and wild rumors concerning her past.
Peggy, a talented and stunningly beautiful woman, had been raised in a boarding house
where she hosted and entertained many Washington politicians, including then-Senator Andrew
Jackson and his good friend John Eaton.
When Jackson met Peggy in 1823, he referred to her as “the smartest little woman in
America.”
While Jackson and his wife were both impressed with the charming, young Peggy, it was John
Eaton who took the strongest liking to her.
Peggy’s husband was away on a four-year-voyage aboard the USS Constitution, and Eaton began
acting as Peggy’s escort on social occasions.
The gossips in Washington DC were appalled by the relationship, and rumors swirled throughout
the social circles of the city.
Peggy was already viewed as a woman of loose morals as she served as a barmaid and continued
“flirting” with men while her husband, 22 years her senior, was away serving in the
navy.
Not only was it widely believed that Peggy and John were involved in an affair, but it
was also rumored that Peggy miscarried a child that could not have been her husband’s.
Peggy’s husband died a mysterious death at sea in 1828, and many suggested that he
had committed suicide out of shame due to his wife’s behavior.
Although the social custom of the era called for a widow to wait for more than a year before
remarrying, Peggy wed John Eaton on January 1, 1829.
The Peggy Eaton Affair erupted into a full-blown political scandal when President Jackson appointed
John Eaton to be his Secretary of War.
Friends and supporters of Jackson had strongly encouraged him not to grant Eaton a cabinet
position, but Jackson firmly stood by Eaton, declaring that his good friend had defended
his wife Rachel’s reputation during the presidential campaign.
The disagreement created a massive rift within the Jackson Administration.
Most of the wives of Jackson’s cabinet members refused to associate with Mrs. Eaton, as did
Rachel Jackson’s niece who served in her place as First Lady and Hostess of the White
House.
Despite Jackson’s insistence that the Eaton’s be accepted, the situation continued to escalate.
Vice President John C. Calhoun’s wife breached social etiquette by refusing to “pay a call”
to Peggy, and Rachel Jackson’s niece left the White House, refusing to return so long
as she had to associate with Peggy Eaton.
As the Jackson Administration bickered, the controversy captured the nation’s attention.
The press dubbed the scandal the “Petticoat Affair,” and the American public followed
the scandalous gossip with great interest.
The divisive actions of many in his administration led to Jackson favoring Secretary of State
Martin Van Buren, and others who supported the Eatons, while snubbing John C. Calhoun
and those who did not.
Jackson’s political opponents used the scandal to attack Jackson’s moral judgments, policies,
and political appointees.
By 1831, the damage to the Jackson Administration proved so great that the president called
an official meeting of his cabinet.
Eaton did not attend, but he and Van Buren had agreed to resign beforehand.
This gave Jackson the opportunity to dismiss the other cabinet members (he kept his Postmaster
General) and replace them with new members if he were to win a second term.
For the remainder of his first term, Jackson relied on an unofficial group of advisors
for guidance on policy.
Jackson’s critics dubbed them the “Kitchen Cabinet” because of their easy access to
the White House.
John Eaton went on to serve as foreign minister to Spain.
As Peggy accompanied him to Europe, it allowed Rachel Jackson’s niece, Emily Donelson,
to return to her duties as First Lady of the White House.
The Peggy Eaton scandal had far-reaching consequences.
As President, Jackson frequently rewarded those who supported him with government jobs.
As a result, the fallout reversed the political fortunes of several politicians, most notably
John C. Calhoun.
Calhoun’s wife served as the ringleader in the assault on Peggy Eaton’s character,
and her actions played a significant role in Jackson replacing Vice President Calhoun
with Martin Van Buren during his second term.
Van Buren went on to become the 8th President of the United States.
The practice of rewarding political supporters with government jobs, known as the “spoils
system,” continues to play a major role in US politics today.