Whose defiance of social and moral convention irrevocably shaped the nation’s political stage during the Antebellum years? In the 1800s, the role of Victorian women–especially the wealthy wives of prominent political figures–was to serve as protectors of our nation’s values. Those values centered around the home and church: wives were dutiful, modest, faithful, and charitable. But there are always rule-breakers, aren’t there? Today, we talk about the Petticoat Affair.