Anna Alcott Pratt

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 novel. Early life Anna Bronson Alcott was born in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia on March 16, 1831. She was the first of four daughters born to Amos Bronson Alcott and Abby May. She was named after both her paternal grandmother (Anna) and her father (Bronson). Amos Bronson Alcott 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 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."