Peggy Eaton's fame was due to sex and involved a President, but it wasn't with a President. She was the daughter of an innkeeper in Washington DC and through this avenue met and entertained many politicians, including her future husbands John Timberlake and John Eaton (not at the same time of course). Peggy was attractive, flirtatious and possibly sexually active with a variety of men. When she was 17, Peggy married 39 year old John Timberlake, a navy man. They were married for 12 years before Peggy began fooling around with Senator John Eaton, a close friend of Andrew Jackson. Rumors abounded about the affair, with one stating that Peggy had become pregnant by Eaton and had an abortion. Whether that is true remains a mystery, but Peggy's husband slashed his own throat at sea, while serving aboard the USS Constitution in 1828. After his suicide, Peggy and Eaton decided to get married, and Jackson gave his approval. The following year, Jackson became President and appointed Eaton his Secretary of War, which fueled gossip even more. The men and women of Washington DC slandered Peggy on a regular basis and felt she was too notorious to be in such a position. Jackson defended his decision and the Eaton's, as it reminded him of personal scandals related to his late wife Rachel.
The Petticoat Affair started at the beginning of the Jackson administration in the spring of 1829 when the wives of cabinet secretaries, led by Vice President John C. Calhoun's wife Floride, refused to invite the Eaton's to parties. The ladies regularly ostracized Peggy and did not speak to her or socialize with her even at official functions. President Jackson took pity on Peggy and decided to take action. He demanded that his cabinet members invite the Eaton's to their parties, but out of fear of their wives, they still refused to entertain the notorious couple. Scandalous rumors continued to fly about Peggy, and Jackson decided to hire a private investigator to come to the bottom of the various allegations. His agents could find no proof of Peggy's promiscuity and thus Jackson summoned his entire cabinet and laid out the evidence. Jackson lectured them, "Female virtue is like a tender and delicate flower. Let but the breath of suspicion rest upon it, and it withers and perhaps perishes forever." Jackson seemed to spend more time on the Eaton's, than on any political, domestic or economic issue during his first year in office.
After the cabinet meeting, John Eaton challenged two different men to duels, but both of them skipped town. Jackson began blaming the entire controversy on John C. Calhoun and his wife Floride. He felt that since Eaton was not one of the vice president's puppets, Calhoun was attempting to undermine him and President Jackson. Secretary of state Martin Van Buren decided to take advantage of such suspicions. He began frequenting the Eaton's home and inviting them to functions. Van Buren wanted to be President some day and used this chance to get on Jackson's good side. His scheme worked and Jackson singed his praises. Jackson's administration was now divided over Peggy Eaton, and in 1831, Jackson asked for the resignations of his entire cabinet. In 1832, Jackson dumped Calhoun from his ticket and replaced him with Martin Van Buren. At the end of his second term, Jackson rewarded Van Buren with the ultimate prize, the Presidency.
Interestingly, Peggy Eaton's life became more colorful as time went on. At the age of 59, after her husband Eaton's death, she married a 19 year old dance teacher who stole all her money and ran off to Italy with her 17 year old granddaughter. She lived to be 80, and her funeral was attended by all of Washington society, including the current First Lady, wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes. Peggy Eaton may only be remembered for her sexual notoriety, but she is remembered.
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