That Eaton Woman

An engrossing account of one of the most legendary political scandals in American history. This is the perfect book for fans of Stacy Schliff, Marla R. Miller, and Jeanne E Abrams.

Between 1829 and 1831, members of President Andrew Jackson's Cabinet were embroiled in what became known as "The Petticoat Affair". This tumultuous scandal shattered the Jackson administration, leading to the resignation of all but one Cabinet member.

What was this oddly named scandal all about? And how did it become so devastating to the American political elite?

Noel B. Gerson's thoroughly researched and brilliantly written narrative takes us through the course of the event, explaining how the partners of some politicians, led by Floride Calhoun, wife of Vice President John C. Calhoun, regarded the marriage of Secretary of War John Eaton and his wife, Peggy Eaton, with disapproval and socially ostracized them because they deemed Peggy as not meeting the "moral standards of a Cabinet wife".

This remarkable event, although seemingly innocuous, would lead not only to the devastation of Andrew Jackson's cabinet but also to the emergence of a powerful, southern sectional leader in John C. Calhoun, who would go on to argue in favor of states' rights and the expansion and protection of slavery.

That Eaton Woman: In Defense of Peggy O'Neale Eaton is an absorbing account of one of the most devastating scandals in United States history, one that helped lay the political groundwork for the American Civil War.