Ann Carson

Ann Carson (born Ann Baker) (c. 1785–1824) was an early nineteenth-century American criminal who was described by biographers as "the most captivating beauty of the underworld and the most notorious character in the State" of Pennsylvania. Initially charged and acquitted of the murder of her ex-husband, she was later sentenced to Philadelphia's Walnut Street Prison for a plot to kidnap Pennsylvania Governor Simon Snyder. Incarcerated a second time for counterfeiting, she died of typhoid fever in the prison in 1824. She also operated a clothing workshop and a china chop in Philadelphia, and the publications of her memoirs made her a well-known figure in the city's early nineteenth-century print culture.

The 1822 publication of her memoir The History of the Celebrated Mrs. Ann Carson, and 1838 publication of The Memoirs of the Celebrated and Beautiful Mrs. Ann Carson, cemented her fame.

Biography Early life Born Ann Baker in about 1785, she lived a privileged life early on. Her father worked successfully in the mercantile trade, allowing Ann to receive one of the better educations available to girls in Philadelphia. In her memoir, Carson describes herself as popular with teachers and peers. She also recounts a sharp decline in the family's financial stability when her father left the business, forcing major changes in household expenses. This was a major shift from financial security to poverty for Ann. One that would shape her sense of independence and resilience.

Marriage She was married off at about age 15 to the much older Captain John Carson due to the financial distress of her parents. John Carson was a former captain in the U.S. Navy who had served with her father. Seeing as John was a captain, he frequently left home for long periods of time, and Ann shared in her memoir that she would find herself spending time with her many male friends, as she did not enjoy spending time with other women. She explains these friendships with these men as honorable; however, the public labeled Ann as “promiscuous” and even stated she was a prostitute. When her husband returned home and heard the news, his jealousy led to an increase in drinking, which led to their marriage deteriorating further.

After almost a year with Captain Carson gone, Ann developed entrepreneurial plans. She sold all of her husband's furniture and china, bought a house on Second Street, and started selling china and queensware. Historians have noted that Carson’s case challenged contemporary assumptions about women’s capacity for violence and criminal agency, which was made evident when the number of female inmates under thirty surged from 59 percent to 93 percent. and sentenced after a trial to seven more years in prison. During this sentence, Ann was both a victim and perpetrator of inmate violence and hatred. Ann experienced relatively better conditions than many of her fellow female inmates. Those of Irish and African descent experienced a great deal of discrimination in prison, while Anglo-American women, such as Ann, condemned them. In her own novel, Ann shared that she was different than those women as she was a refined, educated woman. Ann also shared memories of her fellow inmate being abused by the prison guards, which was common since there was no corporal punishment at this time. The History of the Celebrated Mrs. Ann Carson

Historian Susan Branson conducted research into Ann Carson and her ghost writer and biographer. Branson later published the book Dangerous to Know: Women, Crime, and Notoriety in the Early Republic (2008, University of Pennsylvania Press: ) about Carson and her ghostwriter and biographer Mary Clarke.