Eaton, Margaret

Eaton, Margaret

▪ American socialite
neé  O'Neale , byname  Peggy Eaton 
born Dec. 3, 1799, Washington, D.C.
died Nov. 8, 1879, Washington, D.C.
 woman whose marriage in 1829 to a prominent Democratic politician caused the famous “cabinet crisis” of U.S. President Andrew Jackson (Jackson, Andrew) (in which Jackson dismissed his entire cabinet) and led eventually to the succession of Martin Van Buren (Van Buren, Martin) as head of the party.

      The daughter of a Washington tavernkeeper, Peggy O'Neale was married to a navy purser, John B. Timberlake. Throughout the 1820s her name was linked with Tennessee Senator John H. Eaton, a close friend of Jackson. When her husband died in 1828, Eaton, with Jackson's approval, married her, and Jackson made him secretary of war. A few weeks after the wedding, rumours about her misconduct spread in Washington, and Washington hostesses, including wives of cabinet members, snubbed her—though some observers believed that her major sin lay in her humble social origins. President Jackson was outraged when the wife of Vice President John C. Calhoun (Calhoun, John C) took the lead in Peggy's ostracism. Van Buren, then secretary of state and a widower, made a point of being gracious to her, and his stock rose with the president as Calhoun's fell. It was the beginning of the estrangement between Jackson and Calhoun, a break that was finalized when Jackson reorganized his cabinet in 1831 and dropped three Calhoun supporters from it. Jackson chose Van Buren to run for vice president in 1832 and supported him for president four years later.

      Eaton resigned from the cabinet in 1831, but he and his wife enjoyed the brilliant society of Madrid when he served there as U.S. minister (1836–40). After his death (1856) Peggy Eaton married a young Italian dancing master, Antonio Buchignani, who within a few years defrauded her of her property and ran off with her granddaughter.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Margaret O'Neill Eaton — For other people of the same name, see Margaret Eaton. Margaret O Neill Eaton in later life Margaret O Neill (or O Neale) Eaton (December 3, 1799 – November 8, 1879), better known as Peggy Eaton, was the daughter of Rhoda Howell and William O… …   Wikipedia

  • Margaret Eaton, Baroness Eaton — For other people of the same name, see Margaret Eaton. (Ellen) Margaret Eaton, Baroness Eaton (born 1942), DBE, DL is a Conservative Party life peer in the British House of Lords.[1] She has been a Councillor with Bradford Metropolitan Borough… …   Wikipedia

  • Margaret Eaton — may refer to: Margaret Eaton, Baroness Eaton, British politician Margaret O Neill Eaton, American Senator s wife involved on the Petticoat affair This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same personal name. If an …   Wikipedia

  • Margaret Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge — Margaret Evelyn Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge (8 April 1873 – 27 March 1929) was the sixth child and third daughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster and the wife of the 1st Marquess of Cambridge. She was known before her marriage as The Lady… …   Wikipedia

  • Margaret Anglin — Born April 3, 1876(1876 04 03) Ottawa, Ontario Died January 7, 1958(1958 01 07) (aged 8 …   Wikipedia

  • Margaret O'Brien — Dans Journey for Margaret (1942) Données clés …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Margaret Shelton (artist) — Margaret Shelton Born 1915 Alberta Died 1983 Nationality Canadian Field woodcuts and linocuts …   Wikipedia

  • Margaret Rule — Born 27 September 1928 (1928 09 27) (age 83) Margaret Rule, CBE (born 27 September 1928) led the project that excavated and raised the Tudor warship Mary Rose in 1982.[1][2] Educated at Cambri …   Wikipedia

  • Margaret Cambridge, Marchioness of Cambridge — Lady Margaret Evelyn Grosvenor (* 9. April 1873 auf Eaton Hall, Cheshire; † 27. März 1929 in London) war eine britische Adlige. Durch Heirat war sie ein Mitglied der britischen Königsfamilie und letzte Herzogin von Teck im Königreich Württemberg …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Eaton family — The Eaton family of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, were owners of the Eaton s department stores, a national chain that was founded in 1869, and became bankrupt in 1999. At the family s height, their net worth was around $2 billion. Today, after the… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”