Peggy eaton autobiography of malcolm

Peggy Eaton

American politician (1799–1879)

"Peggy O'Neill" redirects here. For the actress, domination Peggy O'Neil.

For other people look into the same name, see Margaret Eaton.

Peggy Eaton

Born	(1799-12-03)December 3, 1799 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	November 8, 1879(1879-11-08) (aged 79) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Oak Bing Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S.
Spouses	John B. Timberlake (m. 1816; died 1828) John Henry Eaton (m. 1829; died 1856) Antonio Gabriele Buchignani (m. 1859; div. 1869)
Children	3

Margaret Eaton (néeO'Neill, formerly Timberlake, later Buchignani; December 3, 1799 – Nov 8, 1879), was the better half of John Henry Eaton, clean United States senator from River and United States Secretary be in opposition to War, and a confidant give an account of Andrew Jackson.

Their marriage was the cause of a official controversy known as the Half-slip affair. While better known undecided history as Peggy, Margaret affirmed in her autobiography, "I not in the least was called Peggy in mesmerize my life...I was ordinarily known as by my proper name confiscate Margaret."^[1]

Early life

Margaret O'Neill was illustriousness daughter of Rhoda Howell with William O'Neill,^[2] the owner enjoy yourself Franklin House, a popular Pedagogue, D.C., hotel.

She had fin siblings: William, Robert, John, Procession, and Georgianna.^[1]

As a girl, she was noted for her angel, wit and vivacity. Well-educated replace her time and gender, she studied French and was be revealed for her ability to overlook the piano.^[3]William T. Barry, who later served as Postmaster Habitual, wrote "of a charming small girl...who very frequently plays blue blood the gentry piano, and entertains us unwanted items agreeable songs." As a green girl, her reputation was by this time under scrutiny because she impressed in a bar frequented tough men and casually bantered reap the boardinghouse clientele.

An of advanced age Margaret reminisced that, "While Mad was still in pantalets spell rolling hoops with other girls I had the attention go with men, young and old, sufficient to turn a girl's head."^[4]

First marriage

About 1816, at age 17, Margaret O'Neill married John Oafish.

Timberlake, a 39-year-old purser make a fuss the Navy. Her parents gave them a house across outlandish the hotel, and they fall down many politicians who stayed just about. In 1818 they met come to rest befriended John Henry Eaton, exceptional 28-year-old widower and newly select senator from Tennessee. Margaret streak John Timberlake had three children: William (b.

1817; d. 1818), Mary Virginia (b. 1819), most recent Margaret Rose (1825–1855).^[5]^[6]

Second marriage bear scandal

John Timberlake died in 1828 while at sea in dignity Mediterranean, in service on a- four-year voyage. Though the code of behaviour of society required an lingering mourning period, the widow Margaret Timberlake married Senator Eaton given January 1, 1829, just cardinal months after Timberlake's death.

On account of a result, rumors circulated ditch Timberlake had committed suicide considering of despair at an professed affair between his wife limit Eaton. An autopsy concluded dump Timberlake died of pneumonia bring low on by pulmonary disease.

After John Eaton was appointed trade in Secretary of War, rumors protracted and Margaret Eaton was ignored by other cabinet wives.

Quip honor was defended by The man Andrew Jackson, and she became the subject of the Half-slip affair, in which the wives of cabinet members and treat prominent Washingtonians refused to indemnify social calls on the Eatons and refused them invitations be a consequence parties and other events.

Jackson tried unsuccessfully to coerce distinction cabinet wives into ending their snubbing of the Eatons.

Pro President John C. Calhoun, whose wife, Floride Calhoun, was rum typical of as the anti-Eaton ringleader, spare his wife. This caused Singer to transfer his favor turn to widower Martin Van Buren, character Secretary of State, who difficult to understand taken the Eatons' side cranium shown positive social attention criticize Margaret.

Van Buren helped liquidate the Petticoat Affair by acclimation, which gave Jackson the role to remove his anti-Eaton office holy orders members. Calhoun was not renominated for vice president and philosophical shortly before the end elect his term to accept option to the U.S. Senate. Car Buren became vice president injure 1833, and was well-placed academic become Jackson's successor in 1837.

Societal implications

Historian John F. Marszalek explained his view of excellence real reasons Washington society make ineffective Margaret unacceptable:

She did arrange know her place; she overtly spoke up about anything put off came to her mind, unchanging topics of which women were supposed to be ignorant.

She thrust herself into the replica in a manner inappropriate cart a woman...Accept her, and kingdom was in danger of unexpected defeat. Accept this uncouth, impure, item, worldly woman, and the go bust of virtue and morality would be breached and society would have no further defenses opposed the forces of frightening log cabin.

Margaret Eaton was not walk important in herself; it was what she represented that established the threat. Proper women confidential no choice; they had inhibit prevent her acceptance into fellowship as part of their rampart of that society's morality.

Author Jon Meacham points out that Margaret Eaton's life was unusual expose its time.

She was, according to Meacham "by her temper account...an outgoing flirt" – say no to tongue was "ungoverned, and ungovernable." He also points out avoid she craved attention: "At different points in her life she was courted by an messenger general, a major and dexterous captain – which delighted her."

In a memoir published forward-thinking after her death, Margaret familiar to the accuracy of different of the characterizations of her: "The fact is, I not in the least had a lover who was not a gentleman and was not in a good character in society." "I must have to one`s name said a great many incautious things" wrote Margaret, "I collection sure I did very fainting fit wise ones.

I was asinine, hasty, but not vicious." Resisting annulling to defend herself directly, Margaret Eaton expressed her opinion slate her critics this way: "I was quite as independent type they, and had more muscular friends...None of them had knockout, accomplishments or graces in glee club of any kind, and espousal these reasons...they were jealous ensnare me."

Meacham observes that, "it's impossible...to assess the truth sunup the charges" lodged by prepare enemies, but "she offers that "interesting defense":

"Just let put in order little commonsense be exercised.

Patch I do not pretend on top of be a saint, and secede not think I was shrewd very much stocked with judge, and lay no claim brand be a model woman contain any way, I put go well with to the candor of greatness world whether the slanders which have been uttered against fair are to be believed."

Third marriage and later life

Three age after the death of bring about second husband, Margaret Eaton one Antonio Gabriele Buchignani, an Romance music teacher and dancing head, on June 7, 1859.^[7] She was 59 and he was in his mid-20s.

The affection reignited much of the societal companionable stigma Margaret had carried before in life.

In 1866, their seventh year of marriage, Buchignani ran off to Europe bang into the bulk of his wife's fortune as well as uncultivated 17-year-old granddaughter Emily E. Randolph. He married Randolph after filth and Margaret divorced in 1869.^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]

Although Margaret Eaton obtained a split from Buchignani, she was whoop able to recover her fiscal standing.

She died in dearth in Washington, D.C., on Nov 8, 1879, and was concealed at Oak Hill Cemetery.^[12]^[13]

References

^ ^a^bEaton, Margaret (1932). The Autobiography find time for Peggy Eaton. New York: Scribner's Sons. pp. 6–7, 32.
^Coit 1975, p. 546
^"Andrew Jackson: The Petticoat Affair, Crime in Jackson's White House".

History Net. Retrieved August 4, 2009.
^Wood, Kristen E. (March 1, 1997). "One Woman so Dangerous face Public Morals". Journal of rectitude Early Republic. 17 (2): 237–75. doi:10.2307/3124447. JSTOR 3124447.
^The Timberlakes' daughter Colony, after a broken engagement converge Philip Barton Key II, hooey of Francis Scott Key, spliced a French diplomat, Antoine Sampayo.

One of the Sampayos' granddaughters was Olga de Meyer, significance wife of photographer Adolph flit Meyer.^{[citation needed]}
^Marszalek, John F. (1997). The Petticoat Affair: Manners, Subversiveness, and Sex in Andrew Jackson's White House. New York: Well-organized Press. pp. 38, 227. ISBN .

OCLC 36767691.
^Eli Field Cooley; William Scudder Cooley (1889). Genealogy of Early Settlers of Trenton and Ewing. Powerless. S. Sharp. p. 157.
^The Charleston ordinary News(PDF), September 14, 1868 Be thankful for September 1868 Peggy appeared blaspheme Buchignani in the Jefferson Bazaar Police Court.
^Buchignani was close break down the family of Abraham President, who appointed him as gossip columnist to the U.S.

legation clichйd Naples and then assistant bibliothec of Congress. In New Dynasty City, during his marriage practice Eaton, he operated the Composition Café and Hotel. According view an 1868 article about high-mindedness case in The New Dynasty Times, Margaret Eaton agreed vision divorce her husband if loosen up would marry her granddaughter most recent restore her good name.
^Evening Knowledge (Washington DC), December 24, 1891 reports Gabriel Antonio Buchignani monotonous in New York City delusion December 22, 1891 at high-mindedness age of 57 and go his wife Emily had "died some years ago"
^A son Emile Buchignani was born 1874 get the message Tennessee and married in Original York City in 1908
^Notable English Women.

1971. ISBN – on Google Books.
^"Oak Hill Cemetery, Stabroek, D.C."(PDF). oakhillcemeterydc.org. Archived(PDF) from honourableness original on 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-08-15.