The daughter of an Irish immigrant and owner of a popular tavern in Washington, D.C., Margaret O’Neal was a young girl who liked to flirt with the Congressmen and express her political views. She attended one of the best schools in Washington, which led her to perform for First Lady Dolley Madison.

In December 1823, Andrew Jackson met Margaret when he stayed at her father’s boardinghouse. Jackson liked the O’Neal family. Jackson called Margaret “the smartest little woman in America.” Jackson’s wife Rachel was impressed by Margaret. Margaret was married to a sailor named John Bowie Timberlake.

There were always rumors circulating about Margaret. Many did not like her because she was loud and liked to flirt. A friend of Jackson and Timberlake, Senator Eaton, became very fond of the girl. While Timberlake was at sea, Margaret would accompany Eaton to parties.

In April 1828, Timberlake died while in Europe. Rumors spread that he committed suicide because of his wife. This did not only affect Eaton and Margaret but Jackson as well. During the 1828 presidential race, rumors of Rachel Jackson as a “bigamist and adulteress” arose. When the Jacksons had wed in 1791. In 1793, she learned that she had just been granted a divorce. Everything would be cleared up but it be brought up in the presidential race. Three months before Jackson inauguration, Rachel died and he blamed it on the “political defamers.” Like his wife, Jackson believed Margaret was “unjustly scorned.” Eaton wanted to marry the widowed Margaret and Jackson told him to do so. On January 1, 1829, the couple got married. Their wedding only sparked more rumors however. Women of high class society in Washington scorned Margaret. Jackson wanted to name Eaton to his cabinet but supporters of Jackson begged Jackson to reconsider because of Margaret’s reputation. Jackson ignored them and Eaton became the Secretary of War.

Jackson had hoped to replace some corrupt bureaucrats in his first months in office. Instead, Jackson was faced with the problem of people accepting the Eatons. To end all the problems with the Eatons, Jackson held a meeting on September 10, 1829 with his cabinet and two ministers. He attempted to rehabilitate her reputation. In November, Jackson held the overdue cabinet dinner, but attendants avoided discussions with the Eatons. At the next party, all the cabinet members came but not their wives.

Jackson came to believe “the petticoat affair” was fueled by his political rivals. Jackson was suspicious of Henry Clay. He also believed that John Calhoun had something to do with it. At the same time the Secretary of State, Martin Van Buren, was benefiting from Jackson’s suspicions. Van Buren showed respect for the Eatons, something Jackson liked. He became a close friend of Jackson.

During the next two years, rumors would continue to spread about the Eatons. Jackson did not want to get rid of his Secretary of War. In April 1831, Van Buren offered to resign and that John Eaton and the rest of the cabinet should do the same. Newspapers blamed Margaret for the “cabinet’s fall.” Once Jackson was elected to a second term, he sent John Eaton and Margaret to the Florida Territory. John became governor of Florida. Two years later he became the United States’ minister to Spain. They lived happily in Madrid for four years.

In 1836, Van Buren became president. In 1940, he recalled John Eaton from Spain. Jackson became furious when Eaton announced his support for Van Buren’s rival. Eaton and Jackson would not reconcile until 1844.

In 1856, John Eaton died. Margaret’s two daughters married first class men. This won Margaret the respect she always wanted. At age 59, Margaret married the 19-year-old dance tutor of her granddaughter. Five years later, her granddaughter and the dance tutor would run off to Italy with her money. In 1879, Margaret died in a house for poor women. She was laid to rest next to John Eaton.

WORKS CITED

Carriker, Robert M. and Mary Farmer-Kaiser. Optimism, Struggle, and Growth: Readings on an Expanding American. Vol 1. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 2001.