John Eaton (politician)
| John Henry Eaton | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| United States Minister to Spain | |
|
In office March 16, 1836 – May 1, 1840 |
|
| President | Andrew Jackson |
| Preceded by | William T. Barry |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Vail |
| Governor of the Territory of Florida | |
|
In office April 24, 1834 – March 16, 1836 |
|
| President | Andrew Jackson |
| Preceded by | William Pope Duval |
| Succeeded by | Richard K. Call |
| 13th United States Secretary of War | |
|
In office March 9, 1829 – June 18, 1831 |
|
| President | Andrew Jackson |
| Preceded by | Peter Buell Porter |
| Succeeded by | Lewis Cass |
|
United States Senator from Tennessee |
|
|
In office September 5, 1818 – March 9, 1829 |
|
| Preceded by | George W. Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Felix Grundy |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 18, 1790 Scotland Neck, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | November 17, 1856 (aged 66) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party |
Democratic-Republican (1815–28) Democratic (1828–40) |
| Spouse(s) |
Myra Lewis (m. 1810; her death 1818) Margaret O'Neill (m. 1829; his death 1856) |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
| Profession | Lawyer, soldier |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 |
John Henry Eaton (June 18, 1790 – November 17, 1856) was an American politician and diplomat from Tennessee who served as U.S. Senator and as Secretary of War in the administration of Andrew Jackson. He was 28 years old when he entered the Senate, making him the second-youngest U.S. Senator in history after Armistead Thomson Mason. Eaton resigned as Secretary of War as part of a strategy to resolve the Petticoat affair, a social scandal that involved Eaton and his wife, Peggy, and hindered the effectiveness of the Jackson administration.
John Eaton was born on June 18, 1790 near Scotland Neck, Halifax County, North Carolina to John and Elizabeth Eaton. His father was a coroner and member of the state legislature, while his uncle, Major Pinkerton Eaton, had been killed in the Revolutionary War. Eaton's father owned a large amount of land in middle Tennessee, and the 1790 census lists him as the owner of 12 slaves. The younger Eaton attended the University of North Carolina from 1802 to 1804.
After graduating from the University of North Carolina, Eaton became a lawyer. He served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812.
From 1815 to 1816, he was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives. In 1818, he was elected Senator from Tennessee, serving until 1829. His age of 28 at the time of his entry to the Senate was notable; it contradicted the US Constitution's requirement that all Senators be at least 30 years old.
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