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Ann Putnam - Accuser
At twelve years old, Ann Putnam was among the youngest
of the "afflicted" girls. She was somewhat of a prodigy and had been her
mother's confidante since early childhood. She was very much aware of her
mother's tearful visits to the graveyard to visit Ann's siblings' and
other relatives' graves.
Her mother, Ann sr., was a literate and well read woman. She had lost two
other children before Ann was born. She and Ann often poured over the Book
of Revelations looking for local applications of its mysterious symbols.
Mrs. Putnam suffered from vivid dreams of her dead sister and children,
and she may have deliberately dispatched young Ann to the Parris kitchen
to meet Tituba and to discover if there were a non-Christian way of
contacting the dead. Mrs. Putnam eventually joined in the hysteria herself
and suffered from "afflictions" and made accusations against her
neighbors.
In both her "afflictions" and accusations young Ann was the most active of
the girls. As the youngest, she was considered the most innocent;
therefore, her accusations carried the most weight. In August of 1707, Ann
Putnam recanted and asked to be humbled before her congregation. She was
forgiven by the congregation and suffered no further punishment for her
actions. |
