John Henry Eaton

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John Henry Eaton

John Henry Eaton (born June 18, 1790 in Scotland Neck , Halifax County , North Carolina , †  November 17, 1856 in Washington, DC ) was an American politician . He was Secretary of War of the United States, served in the United States Senate for Tennessee and Governor (United States) of the Florida Territory .

Early years and political advancement to the US Senate

John Eaton attended elementary schools in his home country and then until 1804 the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . After a subsequent law degree and his admission as a lawyer, he began to practice in Franklin . During the British-American War of 1812 he served in the US Army . Between 1815 and 1816 he was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives . Then he was a Senator in the US Congress from 1818 to 1829 . His adolescent age of 28 was notable at inauguration because it contradicted the terms of the United States Constitution that required every senator to be over 30. When asked about it, he was referring to former Senators Armistead Thomson Mason and Henry Clay , who were also under 30 when they took office in the US Senate. In the Senate, he chaired the committee that dealt with matters relating to the District of Columbia . After the founding of the Democratic Party in the late 1820s, Eaton became a member.

Secretary of War in Andrew Jackson's Cabinet

As a personal friend of the 1,828 to US president elected Andrew Jackson he was appointed by the latter to the new minister of war of the United States. At the same time, Eaton was also a member of the president's unofficial advisory circle, which was often jokingly referred to as the “kitchen cabinet”. It appears that this group met frequently in the White House kitchen . Eaton held his post as Secretary of War until 1831, when he resigned over a scandal surrounding his second wife, Peggy. The background was the petticoat affair . It was about Eaton having an affair with the married Margret (Peggy) O'Neal, whose husband, a sailor named Timberlake, allegedly committed suicide for this reason. Eaton married this woman shortly afterwards. This sparked a scandal in Washington and divided the Jackson cabinet into two camps. Some, including Vice President John C. Calhoun and his wife Floride , saw this as a scandal and called for Eaton's resignation, while others, including Martin Van Buren and the president, backed Eaton. Some cabinet members such as Secretary of the Navy John Branch resigned in protest. Eventually Eaton gave in to pressure and gave up his office as Secretary of War.

Territorial Governor of Florida

President Jackson quickly found a new role for Eaton. He named him to succeed the Territorial Governor of Florida, William Pope Duval . His tenure in Florida was unhappy. First of all, he arrived there six months late. Then he had to deal with the Indians of the Seminole tribe, a conflict that was only resolved after his tenure. After less than two years in office, he gave up in Florida in 1836.

After his time in Florida he was appointed American ambassador to Spain . He held this office from 1836 to 1840. After that, Eaton retired from politics. As mentioned, he was married to Margret (Peggy) O'Neal. Eaton was buried in Oakland Cemetery , Washington.

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personal data
SURNAME Eaton, John Henry
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH June 18, 1790
PLACE OF BIRTH Scotland Neck , North Carolina
DATE OF DEATH November 17, 1856
Place of death Washington, DC