Petticoat Affair

In The Petticoat Affair, prize-winning historian John F. Marszalek offers the first in-depth investigation of the earliest -- and perhaps greatest -- political sex scandal in American history. During Andrew Jackson's first term in office, Margaret Eaton, the wife of Secretary of State John Henry Eaton, was branded a "loose woman" for her unconventional public life and was snubbed by the other cabinet members' wives. The brash, outgoing, and beautiful daughter of a Washington innkeeper, Margaret had socialized with her father's guests and married Eaton very soon after the death of her first husband, shocking genteel society. Jackson saw attacks on Eaton as part of a conspiracy to topple his administration, and his strong defense of her character dominated the first two years of his term, led to the resignation of his entire cabinet, and sparked a bitter feud with his vice-president, John Calhoun.With comparisons to modern-day politics inevitable, The Petticoat Affair vividly relates how a socially driven controversy could so strongly influence the politics of the age. Moreover, Margaret Eaton's story represents the struggle of many women throughout history to escape the limited roles deemed proper for them.