University:
Arizona State University
Course:
HST 200 | Historical Themes
Academic year:

2024
Views:

342

Pages:

2
Author:

Thuyoul US

IN THE PRESIDENCY: SCANDAL Jackson fired over half of the chosen civil officials in the wake of massive fraud allegations, which included the discovery that the Treasury Department was missing around $300,000. This gave him the opportunity to personally choose the individuals who took their place, Rotation in office refers to this process of replacing government officials that are appointed. Party supporters received lucrative positions like postmaster and deputy postmaster, particularly in areas like New England where Jackson's popularity had been the lowest. Public employment were also obtained by a few Democratic newspaper editors who had backed Jackson during the campaign. Infuriated, Jackson's opponents began referring to the practice as the "spoils system," modeling it after the ideas of Van Buren's Bucktail Republican Party. The rewards of party faithful with positions in the administration led to spectacular examples of corruption. The most well-known one was in New York City, where a Jackson appointee stole more than $1 million. These instances appeared to be unmistakable evidence that Democrats were prioritizing respectability, education, and merit over other factors when making judgments about how to run the country. The Jackson administration had to contend with a personal controversy called the Petticoat incident in addition to animosity over the administration's rotation of power. The president's staff and the capital's insider elite, who thought the newcomers from Tennessee lacked manners and decorum, were more polarized as a result of this episode. Margaret ("Peggy") O'Neal, a well-known socialite in Washington, DC, who had ties to some of the most influential individuals in the republic, was at the epicenter of the storm. She wed navy officer John Timberlake, and the two had three kids. But there were also rumors regarding her relationship with Tennessee senator John Eaton, who had moved to Washington in 1818. When Timberlake killed himself in 1828, there were many stories circulating that he had been upset over his wife's alleged extramarital affairs. Soon after, Eaton and Mrs. Timberlake were married with President Jackson's full consent. The Petticoat Affair caused rifts in Washington society. Numerous socialites in Washington dismissed the new Mrs. Eaton as a depraved individual. Floride, the wife of Vice President John C. Calhoun, was one of those who would have nothing to do with her. President Jackson, who had personal reasons for supporting Peggy Eaton-he drew comparisons between Eaton's treatment and that of his late wife, Rachel, who had faced attacks on her reputation due to her first marriage, which had ended in divorce-became close to Martin Van Buren, who stood up for the Eatons and arranged social gatherings with them. As a result, Calhoun lost favor with Jackson, who came to rely on a group of unofficial adviser's known as the Kitchen Cabinet, This small number of presidential hopefuls emphasizes to Jackson and the Democratic Party how crucial party loyalty is.