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The Petticoat Affair book cover
The Petticoat Affair
Manners, Mutiny, and Sex in Andrew Jackson's White House
1997
First Published
3.47
Average Rating
300
Number of Pages

A stubborn man of deep principles, Andrew Jackson reacted violently to political or social injustice. Rumors surrounding the timing of his marriage devastated his wife, Rachel, who died after his election. But nothing tested Jackson's resolve quite like the Eaton Affair in which his Secretary of War's wife was labeled a "loose woman" and shunned in political circles. Jackson's support of the secretary and his wife began an imbroglio that became a scandal complete with media manipulation, quicksand coalitions, to rumors piled high. This account shows us that sex and scandal are hardly new to American politics. About the Author: John F. Marszalek is professor of history at Mississippi State University and the author of Court Martial: A Black Man in America and Sherman: A Soldier s Passion for Order.

Avg Rating
3.47
Number of Ratings
137
5 STARS
13%
4 STARS
33%
3 STARS
45%
2 STARS
6%
1 STARS
3%
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Author

John F. Marszalek
Author · 8 books
John F. Marszalek is Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Mississippi State University. He has served as the Executive Director and Managing Editor of the Ulysses S. Grant Association and The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant project since 2008.
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