The Crucible

Ann Putnam Jr.

Ann was one of the people who were accused in the Salem witch trials. She was twelve years old during this time. Mary and Mercy were two other girls who were accused outside the Parris household. It says the Ann and some other girls listened to reverend Parris's slave called tituba. Tituba told the young ladies about voodoo and other magic. So from time to time the young girls or "circle girls" would go to reverend Parris's house to play fortune telling games. They played a game which they would drop an egg into a glass cup and see what shape it would take. Ann saw the shape of a coffin and soon after that the girls reported to have odd symptoms.

The young girls were diagnosed as victims of witch craft after they complained of pain, started talking gibberish, and would often space out. Once diagnosed they asked to identify girl's tormentors. Ann quickly testified against Tituba and two other girls named Sarah Osburne and Sarah Good. Ann accused Martha Corey a solid church member. Martha was sent to prison and eventually hanged. The following months she accused several more people and one of them was four year old boy name Dorcas Good.

Ann's parents started accusing dozens of townspeople whom were enemies of the Putnam family. At the end of the witch hunt Ann accused sixty two people. Later on Ann's parents died and Ann had to raise her nine brothers and sisters by herself. In 1706 Ann confessed to the town about her false accusations. Years later she died at the age of thirty seven.

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