The Petticoat Affair By John Marszalek: An Analysis

In The Petticoat Affair , a novel by John Marszalek, the author explores the life and career of General Andrew Jackson, particularly in his tenure as President of the United States. President Jackson gained fame and the Presidency for his acts in the Battle of New Orleans and the First Seminole War. He was a fiery General and an equally rowdy President, but he was always loving and loyal to his family and friends, which often times got him in trouble. One such scenario was his association with Mrs. Margaret Eaton, a long time friend, and the Cabinet wife of the Secretary of War, John Eaton. Ironically, this association would eventually lead to the dissolution of his Cabinet, the first event of its kind in the history of the United States …show more content…
Eaton to protect her honor, as well as his. A man’s honor back then was his all and he would do anything to protect it. In addition, it was a man’s job to fight for women’s honor as well and that was a duty that Jackson took on with all his might. He had dealt with a similar situation with his beloved wife Rachel and the rumors (he believed) had killed her, and he would not let it happen to Margaret. When President Jackson selected his Cabinet, he made Mr. Eaton the Secretary of War and thus put Margaret in a high position in society and Jackson suspected this would force the people to have to accept her. However, when Mrs. Eaton paid a visit to the other Cabinet wives, the women chose not to return the courtesy as was custom. They would have nothing to do with such an unkempt lady. Worse still, Jackson’s own niece shunned Mrs. Eaton, and thus began the struggle. For a full two years, Jackson upheld Margaret when the papers were printing rumors of her promiscuity. He got into many a heated argument on the topic, even with his own family. His friend’s honor was at stake and he was going to protect it. Mr. Eaton was also rallying for the honor of his wife. As was the custom in those days, he challenged many men to duels to the death, including two of the other secretaries, for the treatment of his wife. He wrote letters to the papers denouncing these fiends and calling them attacks on him and Andrew Jackson. Meanwhile, Jackson was going out of his way to put the Eatons in the public eye and expose what a good lady Margaret was. He was meeting regularly with his secretaries to ask them to make their wives associate with Margaret, but they weren’t consenting. The rift between the two sides got bigger and bigger until finally Mr. Eaton resigned, followed by Martin Van Buren, the Secretary of State. Soon, Jackson respectfully asked for