Briefly, the break that began with Calhoun and Jackson occurred over the Petticoat affair, in which John Eaton married Peggy O'Neale shortly after her husbands death. It was seen as extremely scandalous for a women to remarry so soon, as social moors dictated that a widow should remain single for a significant amount of time to properly morn.

Now, Calhoun's wife Floride lead all the prominent women of Washington to snub John and Peggy, angering Jackson (Jackson was sympathetic to the Eatons as his first wife was also subjected to scandal and ridicule). Ironically, John C. Calhoun had little interest or opinion in the affair, but did nothing to reign in his wife actions.

Calhoun was also moving towards the politics of a sectional radical, which didn't help his cause down the line either.