Floride Bonneau Calhoun (née Colhoun; February 15, 1792 – July 25, 1866) was the wife of U.S. politician John C. Calhoun. She is best known for her leading role in the Petticoat affair, which occurred during her husband's service as vice president of the United States. In that role, Mrs. Calhoun led the wives of other Cabinet members in ostracizing Peggy Eaton, the wife of Secretary of War John Eaton, whom they considered a woman of low morals. The affair helped damage relations between John C. Calhoun and President Andrew Jackson, and effectively ended any legitimate chance of Calhoun becoming president of the United States.
Floride Bonneau Colhoun was born to Floride Bonneau and John E. Colhoun, who served as a U.S. Senator from 1801 to 1802. She was a niece of Rebecca Colhoun Pickens, wife of Andrew Pickens. On January 8, 1811, she married John C. Calhoun, her first-cousin-once-removed (her father's first cousin). Soon after their marriage, her husband was elected to Congress, leaving his wife in charge of his plantation, Fort Hill, in present-day Clemson, South Carolina. Within the next eighteen years, she gave birth to 10 children, five daughters, of whom three died in infancy, and five sons,
During her tenure as Second Lady, she took the lead in a social war against Peggy Eaton, the wife of Secretary of War John Eaton, in what became known as the Petticoat affair.
Calhoun had organized a coalition among the wives of Jackson cabinet members against Peggy Eaton, who Calhoun believed had committed adultery and was acting irresponsibly in Washington. Historian John F. Marszalek explains why Washington society found Eaton unacceptable:
She did not know her place; she forthrightly spoke up about anything that came to her mind, even topics of which women were supposed to be ignorant. She thrust herself into the world in a manner inappropriate for woman.... Accept her, and society was in danger of disruption. Accept this uncouth, impure, forward, worldly woman, and the wall of virtue and morality would be breached and society would have no further defenses against the forces of frightening change. Margaret Eaton was not that important in herself; it was what she represented that constituted the threat. Proper women had no choice; they had to prevent her acceptance into society as part of their defense of that society’s morality.[1]
President Jackson was opposed by Vice President Calhoun and most of his own cabinet. The result was the resignation of all but one Cabinet member in 1831. It permanently destroyed friendly relations between Vice President Calhoun and President Jackson, and changed the trajectory of John Calhoun's career.[2]
According to historian Daniel Howe, the revolt against Eaton and the president led by Floride Calhoun influenced the emergence of feminism. The Cabinet wives insisted that the interests and honor of all women were at stake. They believed a responsible woman never should accord a man sexual favors without the assurance that went with marriage. A woman who broke that code was dishonorable and unacceptable. Howe notes that this was the feminist spirit that in the next decade shaped the women's rights movement. The aristocratic wives of European diplomats in Washington shrugged the matter off; they had their own national interests to uphold.[3]
Return to South Carolina
Following her husband's resignation as vice president and election to the United States Senate in 1832, Mrs. Calhoun returned to Fort Hill, resuming her former status as a plantation mistress, leaving the role of Second Lady of the United States vacant until 1841 because both of her husband's two immediate successors as vice president, Martin Van Buren and Richard Mentor Johnson, were unmarried during their time in office.
Her husband died in 1850. In 1854, she sold the plantation to her oldest son, Andrew Pickens Calhoun, and held the mortgage. A year later in 1855, she moved to a smaller house in Pendleton, South Carolina, which she dubbed Mi Casa. She outlived six of her seven surviving children. After Andrew Calhoun died in 1865, she filed for foreclosure against Andrew's heirs before her death the following year.
Death and protracted estate issues
Floride Calhoun died on July 25, 1866, and was buried in St. Paul's Episcopal Church Cemetery in Pendleton, South Carolina, near her children, but separate from her husband who is buried at St. Philip's Episcopal Church Cemetery in Charleston. The Fort Hill plantation was auctioned at Walhalla in 1872 after lengthy legal proceedings. The executor of her estate won the auction, which was divided among her surviving heirs. Her daughter Anna Maria Calhoun Clemson and son-in-law Thomas Green Clemson received about three-quarters of the plantation, including the house, and her great-granddaughter, Floride Isabella Lee, received the remaining balance.[4]
References
^John F. Marszalek, The Petticoat Affair (2000) pp 56-57
^. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
^Daniel Walker Howe, What Hath God Wrought? (2007) pp 337-39
^E. M. Lander, Jr., The Calhoun Family and Thomas Green Clemson: The Decline of a Southern Patriarchy, University of South Carolina Press, Columbia, SC, 1983.
Lander Jr, Ernest M. "Mrs. John C. Calhoun and the Coming of the Civil War." Civil War History 22#4 (1976): 308–317. online
Marszalek, John F. The Petticoat Affair: Manners, Mutiny, and Sex in Andrew Jackson's White House (2000).
Wiltse, Charles M. John C. Calhoun, Nationalist, 1782–1828 (1944); John C. Calhoun, Nullifier, 1829–1839 (1948); John C. Calhoun, Sectionalist, 1840–1850. (1951).
Primary sources
McGee Jr, Charles M., and Ernest McPherson Lander Jr. A Rebel Came Home: The Diary and Letters of Floride Calhoun 1863–1866 (2nd ed. 1989).
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Floride Bonneau Calhoun nee Colhoun February 15 1792 July 25 1866 was the wife of U S politician John C Calhoun She is best known for her leading role in the Petticoat affair which occurred during her husband s service as vice president of the United States In that role Mrs Calhoun led the wives of other Cabinet members in ostracizing Peggy Eaton the wife of Secretary of War John Eaton whom they considered a woman of low morals The affair helped damage relations between John C Calhoun and President Andrew Jackson and effectively ended any legitimate chance of Calhoun becoming president of the United States Floride CalhounSecond Lady of the United StatesIn role March 4 1825 December 28 1832Vice PresidentJohn C CalhounPreceded byHannah TompkinsSucceeded byLetitia Tyler 1841 Personal detailsBornFloride Bonneau Colhoun 1792 02 15 February 15 1792Charleston South Carolina U S DiedJuly 25 1866 1866 07 25 aged 74 Pendleton South Carolina U S Resting placeSt Paul s Episcopal Church Cemetery Pendleton South CarolinaSpouseJohn Calhoun m 1811 died 1850 wbr Children10 including Anna Maria Calhoun Clemson Parent s John E ColhounFloride Bonneau Contents 1 Background and early life 2 Second Lady 2 1 Petticoat affair 3 Return to South Carolina 4 Death and protracted estate issues 5 References 6 Further reading 6 1 Primary sources 7 External linksBackground and early life EditFloride Bonneau Colhoun was born to Floride Bonneau and John E Colhoun who served as a U S Senator from 1801 to 1802 She was a niece of Rebecca Colhoun Pickens wife of Andrew Pickens On January 8 1811 she married John C Calhoun her first cousin once removed her father s first cousin Soon after their marriage her husband was elected to Congress leaving his wife in charge of his plantation Fort Hill in present day Clemson South Carolina Within the next eighteen years she gave birth to 10 children five daughters of whom three died in infancy and five sons Andrew Pickens Calhoun 1811 1865 Floride Pure Calhoun 1814 1815 Jane Calhoun 1816 1816 Anna Maria Calhoun 1817 1875 Elizabeth Calhoun 1819 1820 Patrick Calhoun 1821 1858 John Caldwell Calhoun Jr 1823 1850 Martha Cornelia Calhoun 1824 1857 James Edward Calhoun 1826 1861 William Lowndes Calhoun 1829 1858 HerHer fourth child Anna Maria married Thomas Green Clemson founder of Clemson University in South Carolina In 1817 she accompanied her husband to Washington upon his appointment as Secretary of War in the Cabinet of President James Monroe Second Lady EditEight years later in 1825 she became Second Lady of the United States following her husband s election as vice president serving in that role until his resignation in 1832 Petticoat affair Edit During her tenure as Second Lady she took the lead in a social war against Peggy Eaton the wife of Secretary of War John Eaton in what became known as the Petticoat affair Calhoun had organized a coalition among the wives of Jackson cabinet members against Peggy Eaton who Calhoun believed had committed adultery and was acting irresponsibly in Washington Historian John F Marszalek explains why Washington society found Eaton unacceptable She did not know her place she forthrightly spoke up about anything that came to her mind even topics of which women were supposed to be ignorant She thrust herself into the world in a manner inappropriate for woman Accept her and society was in danger of disruption Accept this uncouth impure forward worldly woman and the wall of virtue and morality would be breached and society would have no further defenses against the forces of frightening change Margaret Eaton was not that important in herself it was what she represented that constituted the threat Proper women had no choice they had to prevent her acceptance into society as part of their defense of that society s morality 1 President Jackson was opposed by Vice President Calhoun and most of his own cabinet The result was the resignation of all but one Cabinet member in 1831 It permanently destroyed friendly relations between Vice President Calhoun and President Jackson and changed the trajectory of John Calhoun s career 2 According to historian Daniel Howe the revolt against Eaton and the president led by Floride Calhoun influenced the emergence of feminism The Cabinet wives insisted that the interests and honor of all women were at stake They believed a responsible woman never should accord a man sexual favors without the assurance that went with marriage A woman who broke that code was dishonorable and unacceptable Howe notes that this was the feminist spirit that in the next decade shaped the women s rights movement The aristocratic wives of European diplomats in Washington shrugged the matter off they had their own national interests to uphold 3 Return to South Carolina EditFollowing her husband s resignation as vice president and election to the United States Senate in 1832 Mrs Calhoun returned to Fort Hill resuming her former status as a plantation mistress leaving the role of Second Lady of the United States vacant until 1841 because both of her husband s two immediate successors as vice president Martin Van Buren and Richard Mentor Johnson were unmarried during their time in office Her husband died in 1850 In 1854 she sold the plantation to her oldest son Andrew Pickens Calhoun and held the mortgage A year later in 1855 she moved to a smaller house in Pendleton South Carolina which she dubbed Mi Casa She outlived six of her seven surviving children After Andrew Calhoun died in 1865 she filed for foreclosure against Andrew s heirs before her death the following year Death and protracted estate issues EditFloride Calhoun died on July 25 1866 and was buried in St Paul s Episcopal Church Cemetery in Pendleton South Carolina near her children but separate from her husband who is buried at St Philip s Episcopal Church Cemetery in Charleston The Fort Hill plantation was auctioned at Walhalla in 1872 after lengthy legal proceedings The executor of her estate won the auction which was divided among her surviving heirs Her daughter Anna Maria Calhoun Clemson and son in law Thomas Green Clemson received about three quarters of the plantation including the house and her great granddaughter Floride Isabella Lee received the remaining balance 4 References Edit John F Marszalek The Petticoat Affair 2000 pp 56 57 Clemson University page on Floride Colhoun Calhoun Archived from the original on 2016 03 08 Retrieved 2012 12 05 Daniel Walker Howe What Hath God Wrought 2007 pp 337 39 E M Lander Jr The Calhoun Family and Thomas Green Clemson The Decline of a Southern Patriarchy University of South Carolina Press Columbia SC 1983 Further reading EditBartlett Irving H John C Calhoun A Biography 1994 Lander Jr Ernest M Mrs John C Calhoun and the Coming of the Civil War Civil War History 22 4 1976 308 317 online Marszalek John F The Petticoat Affair Manners Mutiny and Sex in Andrew Jackson s White House 2000 Wiltse Charles M John C Calhoun Nationalist 1782 1828 1944 John C Calhoun Nullifier 1829 1839 1948 John C Calhoun Sectionalist 1840 1850 1951 Primary sources Edit McGee Jr Charles M and Ernest McPherson Lander Jr A Rebel Came Home The Diary and Letters of Floride Calhoun 1863 1866 2nd ed 1989 External links EditFloride Calhoun at Find a GraveHonorary titlesPreceded byHannah Tompkins Second Lady of the United States1825 1832 VacantTitle next held byLetitia Tyler Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Floride Calhoun amp oldid 1135927154, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
