Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt (March 16, 1831 – July 17, 1893) was the elder sister of American novelist Louisa May Alcott. She was the basis for the character Margaret "Meg" of '' Little Women'' (1868), her sister's classic,

semi-autobiographical An autobiographical novel is a form of novel using autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fictive elements. The literary technique is distinguished from an autobiography or memoir by the stipulation of being fiction. ...

novel.

Early life

Anna Bronson Alcott was born in the

Germantown Germantown or German Town may refer to: Places Australia * Germantown, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region United States * Germantown, California, the former name of Artois, a census-designated place in Glenn County * Ge ...

neighborhood of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

on March 16, 1831. She was the first of four daughters born to

Amos Bronson Alcott Amos Bronson Alcott (; November 29, 1799 – March 4, 1888) was an American teacher, writer, philosopher, and reformer. As an educator, Alcott pioneered new ways of interacting with young students, focusing on a conversational style, and a ...

and

Abby May Abigail "Abba" Alcott (née May; October 8, 1800 – November 25, 1877) was an American activist for several causes and one of the first paid social workers in the state of Massachusetts. She was the wife of transcendentalist Amos Bronson A ...

. She was named after both her paternal grandmother (Anna) and her father (Bronson).

was a schoolteacher and from the time Anna was born, he took detailed notes on his daughter's development. Anna was primarily educated at home although she attended her father's Temple School in the late 1830s. From an early age, Anna was "stage-struck" and secretly longed "to shine before the world as a great actress or ''

prima donna In opera or commedia dell'arte, a prima donna (; Italian for "first lady"; plural: ''prime donne'') is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. ''Prime donne'' often had grand off-stage per ...

''." In her youth, she and her sister Louisa created romantic melodramas which they performed for friends. While Louisa was known among friends for her comedic acting, Anna "could cause handkerchiefs to come out and much swallowing of lumps in the throat." Between 1847 and 1849, Anna and Louisa coauthored a tragedy entitled ''Norna; or, The Witch's Curse''. It was published after Louisa's death in ''Comic Tragedies'' (1893) which featured an introduction by Anna titled "A forward from Meg."

Career

In 1850, Anna opened a small school in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

with approximately 20 pupils. In 1853, she accepted a teaching position in Syracuse, New York.

Marriage and children

In 1858, the year they moved to

Orchard House Orchard House is a historic house museum in Concord, Massachusetts, United States, opened to the public on May 27, 1912. It was the longtime home of Amos Bronson Alcott (1799–1888) and his family, including his daughter Louisa May Alcott (1832 ...

in Concord, Louisa and Anna helped form the Concord Dramatic Union. Another member of the group was

John Bridge Pratt John Bridge Pratt (June 16, 1833 — November 27, 1870) was the husband of Anna Bronson Alcott Pratt, the elder sister of novelist Louisa May Alcott. He inspired the fictional character John Brooke in his sister-in-law Louisa May Alcott's best kn ...

. He and Anna fell in love while playing opposite each other in a play called "The Loan of a Lover." The couple announced their engagement in spring 1858 and married at Orchard House in May 1860. Their wedding provided the basis for the fictional marriage of Meg and John in '' Little Women''. Anna wore a grey silk dress to the wedding. Guests included Henry David Thoreau,

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champ ...

, Lidian Jackson Emerson and

Franklin Benjamin Sanborn Franklin Benjamin Sanborn (December 15, 1831 – February 24, 1917) was an American journalist, teacher, author, reformer, and abolitionist. Sanborn was a social scientist, and a memorialist of American transcendentalism who wrote early biograp ...

. The early years of the marriage are portrayed in Anna's diary (1859-1862). Anna and John had two sons: Frederick Alcott Pratt (1863-1910) and John Sewall Pratt (1865-1923). John Sewall Pratt later changed his name to John Alcott "in deference to Louisa ayAlcott's will." Both worked in book publishing.

Later life and death

died unexpectedly in late 1870. After her husband's death Anna purchased the Thoreau-Alcott House on Main Street in Concord in 1877 with help from her sister Louisa. Anna had $2500 in savings and the asking price for the house was $5,000. Louisa offered $4500 which was accepted. Anna's last years were spent caring for those she loved, including her own sons, her sister Louisa, and "Lulu", the daughter of her late sister

May Alcott Nieriker Abigail May Alcott Nieriker (July 26, 1840 – December 29, 1879) was an American artist and the youngest sister of Louisa May Alcott. She was the basis for the character AmyDinitia SmithFrom Alcott, a Parable for a Spirited Niece."The New York ...

. Anna died in

Concord, Massachusetts Concord () is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. At the 2020 census, the town population was 18,491. The United States Census Bureau considers Concord part of Greater Boston. The town center is near where the confl ...

on July 17, 1893, and she was buried in the family lot on Author's Ridge in

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is a rural cemetery located on Bedford Street near the center of Concord, Massachusetts. The cemetery is the burial site of a number of famous Concordians, including some of the United States' greatest authors and thin ...

.''Concord Patch''
/ref>

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pratt, Anna Alcott family 1831 births 1893 deaths People from Philadelphia Burials in Massachusetts Sewall family Quincy family