The Eaton Affair: America's Most Ridiculous Presidential Scandal

Wednesday, March 9, 2011 5:01 AM By dwi

examiner.com -

The Eaton Affair might be the most undignified account in history. President Andrew politician involved himself in a clannish intimacy involving the wives of his cabinet. Jackson’s actions transformed the incident into a domestic scandal. In the end, the Eaton Affair estranged politician from Vice President Calhoun, lead to histrion Van Buren’s uprise to power, impaired the cabinet’s influence, and served as a domestic distraction.

In 1819, 17-year-old Peggy O’Neale mated 39-year-old blueness purser Evangelist Timberlake. The spirited and educated teen blackamoor attracted attention everyplace she went. As a result, she became the subject of offence and gossip. When Mr. Timberlake died in 1828 patch at sea, rumors swirled that he sworn suicide over his wife’s intimacy with Senator Evangelist Eaton.

Eaton knew the pair since 1818. Mrs. Timberlake’s ascendant ran a departure concern which striking politicians, including Eaton, frequented. She mated the senator almost directly after her husband’s modification breaking the ethnic code of the time. People were due to move before remarrying. As a result, the top ostracized Mrs. Eaton.

Andrew politician ordained Evangelist Eaton to help as Secretary of War. politician loved the Eatons and pleased the wedlock despite the taboo. Vice President Evangelist C. Calhoun’s wife led a oppose against Peggy Eaton. So-called “proper” gild refused to assort with her. The compartment wives followed Floride Calhoun’s lead to Jackson’s chagrin.

President politician reacted strongly to the ostracism. His own wife suffered because of bigamy rumors. She died presently after his election and he blamed the account mongers. politician sequential his compartment to obligate their wives to assort with Mrs. Eaton. Apparently, the compartment feared their wives more than the chair and resigned in protest. The tabloid account subsided with Eaton’s resignation.

The accumulation resignations led politician to form a “Kitchen Cabinet” filled with everyday advisors. They served alongside the real compartment and provided politician assorted viewpoints. The account also severed the relation between chair and evilness president. politician replaced Calhoun on the 1832 listing with histrion Van Buren. The man unnoticed the grotesque account and liberal with the Eatons. As a result, Van Buren positioned himself to follow politician and became chair in 1836.

Andrew politician upset Washington gild with his hold of Peggy and Evangelist Eaton. He certain the pair to marry without the requisite waiting punctuation for a widow. The chair compounded the error by arrangement the compartment wives to assort with Mrs. Eaton. The account led to a compartment uprising and accumulation resignations. In the aftermath, politician created a “Kitchen Cabinet” and jettisoned Vice President Calhoun leading to histrion Van Buren’s uprise to power. 


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