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The Petticoat Affair: Manners, Mutiny, and Sex in Andrew Jackson's White House
A stubborn man of deep principles, Andrew Jackson reacted violently to political or social injustice. Rumors surrounding the timing of his marriage devastated his wife, Rachel, who died after his election. But nothing tested Jackson's resolve quite like the Eaton Affair in which his Secretary of War's wife was labeled a "loose woman" and shunned in political circles. Jackson's support of the secretary and his wife began an imbroglio that became a scandal complete with media manipulation, quicksand coalitions, to rumors piled high. This account shows us that sex and scandal are hardly new to American politics.
About the Author:
John F. Marszalek is professor of history at Mississippi State University and the author of Court Martial: A Black Man in America and Sherman: A Soldier s Passion for Order.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
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About the author
John F. Marszalek
36 books8 followersJohn F. Marszalek is Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Mississippi State University. He has served as the Executive Director and Managing Editor of the Ulysses S. Grant Association and The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant project since 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 20, 2021
This book on the Eaton (or less genteelly, the "Petticoat") Affair begins by noting how historians have tended to view the scandal as "either a major political event or an inconsequential foolishness." And in the more than two decades since its publication, that's continued to be the case - Jon Meacham's American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House devotes a seemingly endless amount of space to contemporary gossips' every utterance about the scandal, while H.W. Brands' Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times dispenses with the whole affair in about a half dozen pages.
Marszalek aimed to tell the full story. And for better or for worse, he does seem to have produced the definitive account.
Washington society snubbed Cabinet wife Margaret ("don't call me Peggy") Eaton, to the great consternation of President Andrew Jackson, even though her only crime seemed to be her forwardness and lack of early 19th century womanly refinement. It was the gossips who smeared her with allegations of promiscuity and infidelity in order to justify their treatment of her. Marszalek does a thorough job separating the truth from the unfounded allegations, when some who try to tell a condensed version of the story conflate all of it. She was "bold and aggressive in manners and speech," but "infamous for no particular transgression," he writes, "but everyone heard the rumors that she was an immoral person and that was enough to stigmatize her."
So it was all just foolishness - except that Jackson couldn't let it go. He spent an inordinate amount of time defending her, trying to prove her critics wrong, insisting that the ostrasizing end and punishing those who disagreed - instead of, you know, running the country like a president probably should.
Marszalek explores the political consequences of all of this - how Jackson's opponents gleefully watched this unfold, while allies like John Calhoun developed into enemies, and political players like Martin Van Buren saw an opportunity to wheedle his way onto Jackson's good side. This all should have been "inconsequential foolishness" - but it was Jackson himself who allowed it to turn into "a major political event."
There is perhaps too much detail in the book about every snub, every social event and dinner party. But it's already a relatively quick read, so excising too much would have made it a pretty thin book. The final few post-Affair chapters also go on a bit too long - it's interesting to read "whatever happened to" Margaret Eaton, but a briefer, less-detailed epilogue would have sufficed.
Some of the most vivid scenes in the book portray Margaret Eaton confronting her critics, and in the most remarkable scene, consoling Jackson as he abandons his dinner guests to lay prostrate on his wife's grave in grief! It seems almost unbelievable - and maybe it is. The source for these stories, tucked away in the end notes, is Margaret Eaton's own autobiography, which she dictated late in life and wasn't published until decades later. Did she misremember, embellish, or completely make up scenes like these? We'll never know for sure. But Marszalek really should have cited the source in the text itself, so the reader could make their own judgment instead of just reciting these stories as fact.
Regardless, the book is a very detailed and thorough account of an episode that seems silly and inconsequential, but turned out to be more serious and consequential than it should have been. There are few deep insights in the book as to what it all meant in the end, but there's more than enough here for a reader who didn't get the full story from one of those other Jackson books, to decide for themselves.
Marszalek aimed to tell the full story. And for better or for worse, he does seem to have produced the definitive account.
Washington society snubbed Cabinet wife Margaret ("don't call me Peggy") Eaton, to the great consternation of President Andrew Jackson, even though her only crime seemed to be her forwardness and lack of early 19th century womanly refinement. It was the gossips who smeared her with allegations of promiscuity and infidelity in order to justify their treatment of her. Marszalek does a thorough job separating the truth from the unfounded allegations, when some who try to tell a condensed version of the story conflate all of it. She was "bold and aggressive in manners and speech," but "infamous for no particular transgression," he writes, "but everyone heard the rumors that she was an immoral person and that was enough to stigmatize her."
So it was all just foolishness - except that Jackson couldn't let it go. He spent an inordinate amount of time defending her, trying to prove her critics wrong, insisting that the ostrasizing end and punishing those who disagreed - instead of, you know, running the country like a president probably should.
Marszalek explores the political consequences of all of this - how Jackson's opponents gleefully watched this unfold, while allies like John Calhoun developed into enemies, and political players like Martin Van Buren saw an opportunity to wheedle his way onto Jackson's good side. This all should have been "inconsequential foolishness" - but it was Jackson himself who allowed it to turn into "a major political event."
There is perhaps too much detail in the book about every snub, every social event and dinner party. But it's already a relatively quick read, so excising too much would have made it a pretty thin book. The final few post-Affair chapters also go on a bit too long - it's interesting to read "whatever happened to" Margaret Eaton, but a briefer, less-detailed epilogue would have sufficed.
Some of the most vivid scenes in the book portray Margaret Eaton confronting her critics, and in the most remarkable scene, consoling Jackson as he abandons his dinner guests to lay prostrate on his wife's grave in grief! It seems almost unbelievable - and maybe it is. The source for these stories, tucked away in the end notes, is Margaret Eaton's own autobiography, which she dictated late in life and wasn't published until decades later. Did she misremember, embellish, or completely make up scenes like these? We'll never know for sure. But Marszalek really should have cited the source in the text itself, so the reader could make their own judgment instead of just reciting these stories as fact.
Regardless, the book is a very detailed and thorough account of an episode that seems silly and inconsequential, but turned out to be more serious and consequential than it should have been. There are few deep insights in the book as to what it all meant in the end, but there's more than enough here for a reader who didn't get the full story from one of those other Jackson books, to decide for themselves.
January 24, 2023
A wonderful overview of the famous scandal, with great summaries of the lives of those involved. My only complaint is the arrangement of the notes. With only one note per paragraph in most cases, they would often include multiple sources so it was annoying to differentiate which was for which parts, while in other areas where I expected notes (like after direct quotes) there were none. It was a great read with thorough research behind it, I just would have appreciated the research being more clearly connected to the text.
November 2, 2020
Hard to believe Jackson was elected to a second term after the inordinate amount of time he spent defending the honor of Margaret Eaton. Would have liked to have seen some of his major accomplishments worked into this history so that he didn’t seem so one-dimensional.
September 30, 2013
President Andrew Jackson's first administration was a difficult one marked by such controversial topics as Indian removal, the rechartering of the Bank of the United States, a tariff crisis, and nullification. But also occupying much of Jackson's attention in his first administration was a social scandal involving Margaret "Peggy" Eaton, the wife of Jackson's Secretary of War. Because of Jackson's life experiences and because Jackson viewed women as defenseless, he was always quick to defend the honor of women. So when Peggy Eaton, who was viewed as a loose woman by Washington society--she was outspoken and opinionated, her first husband died under questionable circumstances, and she worked in the tavern that her innkeeper family ran--was snubbed by the wives of most government officials, Jackson quickly rose to her defense. Peggy viewed the situation as being the result of envy and jealousy, but President Jackson felt it was a conspiracy aimed at casting judgment on his choice Cabinet officials and as an attempt to cripple his administration. Before the scandal was over, Jackson's entire Cabinet resigned, challenges to duels were issued, the presidential hopes of John C. Calhoun were destroyed, and Martin van Buren's political star was in the ascendency. An enjoyable read demonstrating that the contemporary scandals embroiling politics and political figures are just the latest in a long line.
April 11, 2010
I was a bit disappointed with this book. I expected it to have more in-depth analysis of the events of this so-called saga. However, it turned out to be a dry listing of the events with little to no commentary on them. As a reader, I felt as if the primary sources were cited to me rather than discussed. I feel I did not learn anything more about the political drama surronding Margaret Eaton than I did during a college history course.
Although, having known little about Margaret Eaton's life post-Eaton's secretarial post, I did find it interesting to learn about her life in Spain, her third marriage, and what became of her in her later years.
Although, having known little about Margaret Eaton's life post-Eaton's secretarial post, I did find it interesting to learn about her life in Spain, her third marriage, and what became of her in her later years.
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February 4, 2025Andrew Jackson is many things; a genocidal conqueror, a celebrated war hero, a deeply traumatized survivor, a frontier gentleman with a defined moral code. He's also not other things: gentry, diplomatic, measured.
As this book so elegantly exposes, he was a fierce ally to his friends, but a dangerous and persistent nemesis to his enemies. He believed in a giant conspiracy that Rachel Jackson and Margaret Eaton were both victims of. As a gentleman, he defended women's reputations he felt were unfairly tarnished in the Great Conspiracy Out To Get Him. The main difference between him and a certain clown is that: he has morals.
Given, those morals were very racist and became genocidal, but he has morals, at least. Maybe a president shouldn't spend nearly half a term focused on defending a random cabinet wife (they shouldn't), but damn if it wasn't an entertaining story to reaf 150 years later.
As this book so elegantly exposes, he was a fierce ally to his friends, but a dangerous and persistent nemesis to his enemies. He believed in a giant conspiracy that Rachel Jackson and Margaret Eaton were both victims of. As a gentleman, he defended women's reputations he felt were unfairly tarnished in the Great Conspiracy Out To Get Him. The main difference between him and a certain clown is that: he has morals.
Given, those morals were very racist and became genocidal, but he has morals, at least. Maybe a president shouldn't spend nearly half a term focused on defending a random cabinet wife (they shouldn't), but damn if it wasn't an entertaining story to reaf 150 years later.
February 28, 2023
I found this book quite fascinating. I have never really liked Andrew Jackson and have felt he was very similar to a more recent president. In reading this book, I found a very significant difference. Andrew Jackson was capable of loving and defending someone besides himself. It kind of softened me a bit on Jackson. This book also made me very grateful I was not a woman in the early 1800s. The social mores from that time period are somewhat mind-boggling to a woman living in the 21st century. It would be nice if we could find a happy medium between what life was like and what it is now.
February 2, 2020
Normally the Petticoat Affair is a mere footnote in history, but this book dives into the topic in detail. It is incredible how Margaret Eaton refused to conform to the conventions of society and was judged and scorned, which also happens today. Jackson’s fierce defense of Margaret Eaton, at the risk of his cabinet, shows his stubbornness and also his loyalty to friends. A great read for any history buff.
November 2, 2017
It was interesting to read about the societal norms of early America. President Jackson's involvement in such a public and nonpolitical topic is one rarely seen since in history. Eaton was a woman who did not live by the proper rules of society and is remembered to this day as a social revolutionary, whether she intended it or not.
March 21, 2017
This book gives the reader a good understanding of the historical facts, with the ability of telling a story keeps you reading. So many times a Historical Book will lose the read due to its dryness, John Marszalek wrote in a way that kept me turning the page.
September 9, 2020
A wonderful book. It examines closely the “Peggy” Eaton affair during the Jackson presidency. It reviews all the underlying political and social details of the mess. Well researched and written.
December 18, 2023
Thorough but a bit repetitive. Interesting historical events.
January 2, 2014
The word "affair" printed in red, the catchy subtitle and the busty figure of the cover all hint of a racier story than Marszalek actually tells.
Anyone familiar with the historical record knows how the Eaton scandal played out, so I won't rehash it, or ruin the story for those who don't know. But I will say that Marszalek makes a bigger deal of it than I thought it deserved. Not that the book is a complete waste of time; Marszalek takes the obvious yet useful tack of casting this one scandal as a case study of social attitudes and gender roles in Jacksonian America. But this perspective, strong as I thought it was, is not Marszalek's main thesis, and the rest of his book seemed weak and noncommittal in comparison. He doesn't actually have much of a thesis at all. He merely recounts the historical record, which might be useful on its own terms if one hasn't read some more thorough accounts (Remini's, for one).
No matter. Marszalek is a little monotonous, but accessible enough and succinct enough to make his book bearable. A footnote to a deeper study, but inoffensive and convenient.
Anyone familiar with the historical record knows how the Eaton scandal played out, so I won't rehash it, or ruin the story for those who don't know. But I will say that Marszalek makes a bigger deal of it than I thought it deserved. Not that the book is a complete waste of time; Marszalek takes the obvious yet useful tack of casting this one scandal as a case study of social attitudes and gender roles in Jacksonian America. But this perspective, strong as I thought it was, is not Marszalek's main thesis, and the rest of his book seemed weak and noncommittal in comparison. He doesn't actually have much of a thesis at all. He merely recounts the historical record, which might be useful on its own terms if one hasn't read some more thorough accounts (Remini's, for one).
No matter. Marszalek is a little monotonous, but accessible enough and succinct enough to make his book bearable. A footnote to a deeper study, but inoffensive and convenient.
March 4, 2013
The Petticoat Affair gave me new insight to Andrew Jackson's administration, as I was not familiar with this cast of players. What a character Margaret Eaton must have been! It was a tale of a women's honor, political ambition, and society in the early to mid 1800s. As John F. Marszalek noted, Margaret Eaton was a woman who "just did not fit in."
At a time when President Jackson should have had the Nation's issues in mind, instead he chose his battles in the Eaton Affair.
At a time when President Jackson should have had the Nation's issues in mind, instead he chose his battles in the Eaton Affair.
May 19, 2015
Before reading this book, I was familiar with the basics of the Peggy Eaton affair, but I had never read all the nitty gritty details. It was fascinating. It was also a bit depressing since it reminded me of middle school lunch table drama.
Overall, the author did an excellent job showing how Jackson's personality caused the affair to have lasting political impact. (That said, saying it was the MAIN reason for the split with Calhoun is ridiculous.) I would recommend.
Overall, the author did an excellent job showing how Jackson's personality caused the affair to have lasting political impact. (That said, saying it was the MAIN reason for the split with Calhoun is ridiculous.) I would recommend.
February 24, 2009
Enjoyed this quite a bit. Nothing new or earth shattering particularly, but a unique way to focus on Jackson's administration, and on the role gender played during the period!
June 14, 2010
A strangely appropriate follow up to History of White People in that both Jackson and Margaret Eaton were Irish and therefor not good enough for DC elites.
February 23, 2014
A good account of the issue that consumed much of Andrew Jackson's first term.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews