thompson



Martha Carrier Autobiography

I was born to Andrew and Faith Allen of Andover Massachusetts. I married Thomas Carrier on May 7th 1664 when I was 7 months pregnant with my oldest child. I had three sons and two daughters. My last two children died of the smallpox. Within two month of our arrival back to Andover, nine people had died from the illness. The fact that my husband and children had been stricken with smallpox, but none of them died, would have been interpreted as proof that I had special powers, and they blamed me for the thirteen smallpox deaths. I did not have any reason to lie and say I had an association with the devil. My independent spirit and lack of deference quickly alienated me from the rest of the community. I was a well respected woman until I brought the smallpox epidemic back to Salem. When I brought the smallpox back and everybody started dieing except for my family that’s when people started accusing me of witchcraft. There was no evidence of witchcraft presented in my trial. I was hung as a witch in the hysteria that started in Salem in 1692. ​

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